


The Bargain

by TheTravelerWrites



Category: Original Work
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Babies, Demon/Human Relationships, Demons, Denial Kink, Edging Kink, Elves, F/M, Hair Kink, Hair-pulling, Human/Monster Romance, Light Bondage, Marriage, Menstruation mention, Monster Boyfriend, Monster Husband, Orgasm Denial, Pregnancy, Princes, Reader Insert, Reader-Insert, Sex, Sexual Content, Size Difference, Size Kink, Teratophilia, blood mention, gentle giant, human/demon, human/monster, period mention, sensory play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-05-06 19:38:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 44,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14654757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTravelerWrites/pseuds/TheTravelerWrites
Summary: Based on "The Princes" series of shorts written by tumblr user your-monster-romance, with her permission.Her Tumblr: https://your-monster-romance.tumblr.com/Find the original shorts here:Part 1: https://your-monster-romance.tumblr.com/post/172836291919/imagine-once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-king-hePart 2: https://your-monster-romance.tumblr.com/post/172858928565/imagine-it-was-such-a-perfect-day-too-perfect-toPart 3: https://your-monster-romance.tumblr.com/post/172868863234/imagine-you-had-no-clue-what-was-going-on-rightPart 4: https://your-monster-romance.tumblr.com/post/172874801539/imagine-this-was-absolutely-insane-perfect-days





	1. Prologue

Of the mistakes King Rodai had made during his reign, getting involved in another country’s war had proven to be the worst.

He had done it with noble intentions; he sought only to aid the neighboring king, who had been his close friend since childhood. He thought that his assistance would be limited to offering shelter to the refugees and sending weapons and food to the soldiers, but in time, more was asked of him. More food, more weapons. Soon it was money and resources. And then soldiers. By the end of the first year of his involvement, he had sent half of his wealth and most of his army, none of which had returned.

Five years on, and he had gone from a man rich in sons, power, and the love of his people, to a broken, despised widower king with only a small boy, Coll, to inherit a country crumbling beneath his feet. Rodai’s wife, after having lost four of her five sons to war, died herself of grief, and it was this loss that had finally pushed Rodai to act.

His childhood friend, the king he had sought to help, had been deposed and sent into exile mere weeks ago, and the conqueror who now sat in his throne had his sights set on Rodai’s kingdom, Suida. And it would fall. Gods knew, it would fall.

The only hope Rodai now had was to make a deal with the devil.

* * *

 

The vast Empire of Cavernae was said to be a fairy tale, something fit only as a campfire legend or bedtime story. No one really believed it even existed. It wasn’t even mentioned in history books anymore. Perhaps that was best.

But Rodai’s father, the previous king, had been a superstitious man of the Old Ways and taught his son in secret how to find this elusive kingdom. It would be difficult, he had said, since the entrance moved rather frequently to prevent unwanted visitors. Even then, finding it would cost you something. Blood, a year of your life, an eye, maybe.

It was worth it, Rodai believed. For his people, for his last living son, Rodai swore he would pay any price. An oath he would come to regret.

He had left his castle alone one night, slipping past his guards disguised as a horseman, and made his way into the forest at the foot of the Great Mountain with nothing but the clothes on his back and a bag with a few essentials. He did not bring jewels or money, since he no longer had either in his coffers. He could only hope that he might still possess something worth bartering, even if it was his own life.

After two days of sleepless searching, he found himself in a clearing. The winter woods around them were dark and cold and full of dead, lifeless trees, but this circle of meadow was lush and green under his boots, as though spring existed here in perpetuity.

 _This must be it,_ Rodai thought. _It has to be._

Taking a knife from his bag, he put the point of it to his wrist and dug in, not deep enough to kill him but enough that a steady trickle of blood fell to the meadow floor, painting the green grass red at his feet.

“Hear me,” He said, hissing at the pain. “I seek an audience with the Demon King of Cavernae. I offer my blood, and whatever else he might wish, as a show of good faith. Open the way and let me pass.”

Vines snaked between his legs and around, creating a doorway behind him. He could still see the forest and meadow beyond it, but it wavered as though looking through imperfect glass. After wrapping his wrist with a spare sock from his bag, he stepped toward the gateway. Reaching out a cautious hand, he saw that his fingers disappeared as they crossed the threshold. Taking a long, slow breath, he stepped forward and into the barrier.

He did naught but close his eyes, but in the span it took him to blink, he had left the clearing and was standing at one end of a grand hallway.

Before him, walking toward him quickly, came two… men? No, these creatures he saw couldn’t possibly have been mortal men. They were demons, rightly enough. One had dark red skin like brick, the other bright red, like holly berries, both standing head and shoulders above him. They must have been guards; it was their stance that gave it away. They walked up to him and stopped, their eyes bore down at him quizzically.

“State your business,” One of the guards said, his voice was like two stones being rubbed together.

“I…” Rodai began. “I am King Rodai of Suida. I seek to parlay with your king. I apologize that I arrived unannounced, but the matter is urgent.”

“He has been expecting you,” The other replied, his voice much the same as his companion. “You’ve come very late. He is otherwise occupied at the moment. You must wait.”

“I will,” Rodai said. “I will wait as long as it takes.”

“Very well,” They turned and began to walk the hallway. “Follow.”

Rodai obeyed, and followed them to a very large sitting area just off the main hall. It was lavish and extravagant. The chairs and couches and footstools were made of fabrics and furs and leathers he’d never encountered before. He picked up and examined a wine decanter so fragile and delicate that he thought it may have been made of dragonfly wings.

“Why is it men wait so long to reach out for help?” He heard a voice ask. He spun on his heel and saw a woman standing at the doorway, holding a moving bundle in her arms.

She was unlike anything he’d yet seen, and he’d seen plenty at his age. She was blue, all varieties of blue. Her skin was pale celeste, her long hair crested scarab blue and faded down to white at the tips. Her eyes were a solid lapis hue all the way across. He was unable to discern where the irises and pupils were from where the white part should have been; it was all just one color. Even the thin dress she wore was sapphire in color, over which she wore a sheer white dressing gown of lace that seemed to have been woven from the dew on a spider’s web and trailed far behind her. She looked like a moving sculpture carved of glacier ice, dusted with snow. She even had a smattering of white freckles on her nose, as if she had indeed been standing outside in the snowfall.

Rodai collected himself and bowed, realizing this must be the dark emperor's queen. As he rose, he looked again at the bundle in her arms, and a small, waving grey fist popped out from between the cloth, grasping for her fingers. He felt a stab of pain at the sight, remembering a time not so long ago when his last son had been born, a time when he was still happy, his wife still lived, and his land was still whole.

“My Lady,” He said. “Thank you for allowing me passage into your land. I was not certain I would be accepted.”

“We’ve been waiting for you, Rodai of Suida,” She replied, her voice like the crack of a whip. “I must say, I’m surprised you waited so long to ask for our help. Would it not have been wiser to come sooner? Before your sons and wife were lost?”

Her words were like another knife through his heart. “Her Majesty is blunt.”

“This is not the time for tact,” She said shrewdly. “I am not without sympathy, King Rodai, but you have waited far too long. What you seek may no longer be within reach.”

“It has to be!” Rodai replied emphatically. “I’ll do anything, I’ll give anything. I just want my people and my son to be safe and well. I know it is much to ask, but your husband is a man of great power. Surely he can accomplish such a feat.”

“That is for him to decide,” She said. Her eyes darted and her head turned slightly, as though she were listening to something. “Come. You have been summoned.”

He followed her out of the receiving room and into an absolutely enormous great hall made entirely of black marble. At the other end was a long, wide stairway, and at the top was a throne sitting on a gold dais.

Sitting there was a man, straight-backed and imposing, peering down at Rodai. His eyes similar to that of his wife’s, but instead of solid blue, his were solid white. His skin was the color of the smoke from an oil fire, and he wore garments of black, red, and gold. From the nest of black curls on his head rose horns, long and twisting, shiny black near his head and fading to red near the points. He sat with his legs crossed, regarding Rodai thoughtfully, his hands resting on his knee. His demeanor was not arrogant or proud, but it was nonetheless commanding. Intimidating.

The Queen took the steps carefully and went to stand at her husband’s elbow, handing him the bundle as she did so. The Demon King cradled his child with one arm and rubbed his chin with the other, waiting.

Rodai bowed. “My Lord--” He began.

“Kneel,” The Demon King said, his deep voice reverberating around the massive chamber.

Rodai looked up. “Pardon?”

“I am Zinzo, King of the Dark Creatures, Lord over all Magic, and Emperor of the Night Sky Above and the Dark Cavern Below. You will kneel.”

Rodai hesitated. Kings did not kneel to other kings. Bowing was customary as a sign of equal power and mutual respect, but kneeling was a sign of inferiority, of weakness. To kneel before someone was to surrender to that person, and a king did not surrender to anyone. It was simply unheard of.

 _Well,_ Rodai thought. _I may not be a king before long, as it stands._

Slowly, as he had never done this before and it felt most unnatural, Rodai took a knee before King Zinzo.

Zinzo smiled. It wasn’t comforting.

“You may rise,” He said. His voice reminded Rodai of a stone falling down a hill, rumbling and terror-inducing to anyone in its path. “I know of your plight, King of Suida. However, you have nothing now that is of any use to me. Therefore, it would not benefit me to help you.”

“I will give you anything, anything at all,” Rodai pleaded. “There must be something you need. Something I could do. I’ll work it off, if I have to. I’ll be your servant, I’ve give you every coin that comes into my hands, I will give you my life, if that’s what you want. Anything to save my people.” His eyes looked down and the sleeping baby in King Zinzo’s arms. “For my son, I will do anything. I would give anything. I swear to you.”

“ _Anything_ , you say?” Zinzo said in a curiously soft, slow voice. His smile widened, revealing very white, very sharp teeth. “Interesting.” He rose from his throne, keeping a tight grip of his infant, and walked slowly down the stairs. “I think I might just be able to work something out for you.”

“Thank you,” Rodai breathed in relief. “Thank you, my Lord. What recompense would you have from me?”

“Oh, nothing you have at the moment is of any interest to me. Perhaps one day, though, you may be able to repay me.”

“Yes, anything, just name it,” Rodai said.

Zinzo stopped in front of him. “Children.”

The blood drained from Rodai’s face in horror. “I’m sorry, My Lord, I don’t understand.

“I want children. Specifically, your children,” Zinzo clarified.

Rodai’s heart began to hammer in his chest. “Please, Your Majesty, please, my son is all I have left.”

Zinzo waved his hand impatiently. “Not the son, I have plenty of those.” He bounced the infant a little to emphasize his point. “I want daughters. My sons will need brides when they become men. It’s becoming harder to find women of nobility among the elves and fae that are not already interbred. I was fortunate to find Lenora,” Zinzo motioned his head to the blue lady standing beside the throne. “But there are few of our women left to which my sons are not already related. Seems the logical option is to begin marrying them off to humans, as inferior a species in magic as they may be. It would not be my first choice, but we are desperate men, are we not?”

Rodai was confused. “But I have no daughters.”

“Not yet,” Zinzo said with a sly grin. “But you are not an old man by any measure. Still young enough to find another wife and father more children. I only need three, though. Should you have any addition children, they will be yours to keep.”

Rodai blinked and watched Zinzo warily.

“Do we have a deal?” Zinzo asked him.

Three daughters? How would he achieve that? What if he didn’t? What if he never remarried or had a mistress? He had dearly loved his late wife and had no interest in remarrying. What if the daughters Zinzo requested never came to be? What would Zinzo do?

“Y…Yes,” Rodai said.

Zinzo stuck out a hand with abnormally long fingers, the tips of which were red, like his horns. “Very well,” He said. “Take my hand and the contract will be sealed.”

Slowly, carefully, as though expecting an attack, Rodai reached out his hand and clasped Zinzo’s.

All at once, there was a flash and he felt a push against his chest, which knocked him breathless and to the ground, and when he opened his eyes again, he was sitting on the ground of his bedroom back at his castle, wearing his evening clothes as though the trip through the forest had never taken place. Had he dreamed the whole thing? He hoped not. What of the deal he had made?

A banging on his bedroom door interrupted his spiraling thoughts and made him jump.

“My lord?” A guard called through the door. “Are you all right? It is midday and you have not come out. Shall I call a doctor?”

“No,” Rodai called weakly, looking out the window. It was indeed midday. “I’m fine, I will be out in a few moments.”

* * *

 

A fortnight later, an ambassador sent from the Conqueror King arrived at the castle to speak with King Rodai. Rodai was reluctant to receive him, but did so under heavy guard.

Once seated in Rodai’s private office, he said, “What business does the Conqueror King have, Ambassador Rook?”

The ambassador, an elderly man with a crown of wispy white hair, said, “My lord sends me with a message of peace.”

Rodai snorted. “I highly doubt that.”

“He has decided not to invade your country. In fact, he’s offering a trade deal with you. You would benefit greatly from this offer. Should you refuse, however, he will attack.”

Rodai was disgusted. Trade with the man that had killed his men and usurped his friend’s throne? Madness. But if he didn’t, the cost would be high.

“What are the conditions?” Rodai asked in exasperation. “I know there are conditions. He wouldn’t just decide to offer me a peace accord if there was nothing in it for him.”

“There is only one condition,” The ambassador said. “You must wed his daughter, Aralie.”

A chill shot up his spine and over his shoulders. “What?”

“You will wed Princess Aralie, and your progeny will rule both kingdoms, uniting them without conquering them.”

Zinzo’s unnerving smile crept into Rodai’s thoughts. “If I refuse?”

The ambassador shrugged. “Then you will be destroyed.”

* * *

 

The wedding took place nearly three months later. He met with the Conqueror King several times begrudgingly so that the contracts could be drawn up and signed. Never in all that time did Rodai ever meet his would-be bride. It seemed that would have to wait for the wedding day. Perhaps she was unattractive or deformed, something that made the king nervous about her future, which is why this was the only condition upon which he had insisted. It would make sense.

The day dawned, and Rodai dreaded every second that passed. It would be a morning ceremony so that all of the Conqueror’s ilk could party like maniacs for the remainder of the day. Disgustingly.

He stood at the altar with the Conqueror at his side, as if to make sure he stayed put. The princess was led in by her mother, wearing a simple gown of pale rose silk. Her features were plain and neat, not dowdy or deformed like he was expecting. Her hair was a pretty honey color and her eyes were steely grey, like her father’s. She also wasn’t as young as he expected, perhaps in her mid-to-late 20’s. He was grateful for that. He didn’t much like the idea of a child-bride.

She wasn’t the beauty his late wife had been, nor did she possess the strange etherealness of the Zinzo’s tall elven queen, but Rodai had to admit she was charming.

She smiled at him in an almost apologetic way as she approached. When she came to stand next to him at the altar in front of the priest, her father, the Conqueror, left them to stand with his wife. As he did so, Aralie leaned toward Rodai and said in a side-whisper: “Sorry.”

Rodai smiled a little and whispered back, “Me, too.”

* * *

 

It seemed his new wife had brought with her light and prosperity when he took her back to his land. The crops flourished, and with them came new wealth and livelihood for his subjects. Life was returning, and Rodai was grateful.

He found Aralie surprisingly easy to talk to. She was well-read and quite intelligent, and they had many interests in common. He confessed he was rather astonished that she was not already married at her age, and she admitted that her father had done a good enough job of scaring every available young man in all neighboring countries away from asking for her hand since she was old enough to marry, so it wasn’t so much a choice as it was lack of backbone on the gentlemens’ part. Rodai had to laugh at that.

They became friends very quickly, and though Rodai had committed himself to the two of them staying friends out of respect for his late wife, he couldn’t help thinking about Aralie more and more. He looked forward to talking to her each day, and he missed her company on any day when he didn’t see her. It wasn’t until nearly a year later, when she had gone to visit her father for a few weeks and he was left to pine for her, he realized he had come to love her.

He was still wary of getting too close. The promise he had made to Zinzo was at the back of his mind at all times. So he kept his distance and tried to ignore his feelings. What he didn’t count on was her feelings or her willingness to act on them.

One night, he heard the door to his sleeping quarters open and shut. Blinking groggily, he looked up to see Aralie in her sleep shift approaching with a candle.

“Aralie?” He asked, rubbing his eyes. “Are you all right? Is something the matter?”

She didn’t answer right away, instead putting the candlestick down on his bedside table and sitting on the edge of the bed, not looking at him. Her breathing was uneven and she appeared to be shaking.

“Aralie?” He reached for her shoulder, concerned. At his touch, she looked around at him.

“Rodai,” She began softly. “We’ve been married for some time now, and you’ve been a true gentleman, but I must ask: how do you feel towards me?”

Rodai was unable to answer her. He looked at her with sympathy and affection, but kept his jaw clenched shut.

At his silence, she lowered her eyes and looked away. “I know that our marriage was arranged for political reasons and that you may not feel anything for me beyond friendship, but I must confess I… I’ve become rather fond of you. I feel more than just friendship for you. So much more.”

Rodai’s heart rate hitched up. “Aralie…”

She stood before he could say more and pulled the shift she had been wearing over her head, revealing her body underneath. She let the garment fall to the floor and made to sit on her knees next to him on the bed, close but not touching. She was breathing rather fast. So was he. His hands twitched, longing to touch her, but he forced them still.

“If this is not what you want, if it’s a mistake, you need only say, and I will leave you in peace,” Aralie said, not meeting his eye. “But I… I had to know… if you wanted me as much as I want you.”

All he could do was look at her. The way her neck curved into her shoulder, the way her hair looked as it cascaded down her back, strands escaping to hang in front of her face. The pout of her lips, the shape of her eyes. The dusting of freckles across her breast. His hand moved to stroke her collarbone, and she looked at him with those wide, beautiful silvery eyes in surprise, lovely and excited and just a little bit terrified. How could he have ever thought her plain? She was perfect.

He couldn’t fight it anymore. More to the point, he didn’t want to fight it. He took her face in his hands and kissed her hard enough to wipe out any doubts she might have had about his feelings for her. He touched every inch of her body with every inch of his. He wanted her so much and he proved it. He proved it over and over again that night, and many nights after.

Happiness with her felt as natural as taking breath. It was effortless, easy. She could make him forget any trouble, any worry. And in time, he did forget. He forgot all the hardships he had faced during the war, and so did his people. She had breathed new life into him, and he in turn breathed new life into his land. With her, everything was good, and right, and just. The world was exactly as it should be.

And he forgot.

* * *

Their first child was born on a cool, clear day in spring; a perfect little baby girl. Rodai had only sons with his previous wife and never a little girl, so he hadn’t known how to handle one at first. With his son, now twelve and growing quickly, starting to train with his generals to be the next leader of the land, Rodai had much time to spoil and coddle this new little lamb, and he was more than pleased to do it. Aralie told him he had to be firm or she’d never obey him, but he couldn’t help but melt when his little girl looked at him with those sweet eyes. How could he not?

They named her Tyria after a spring blossom that collected near her nursery window that was native to his land alone. She would be tall, like her father, and nearly as tan, but her every other feature was a mirror of her mother.

Two years later, the second one came on the first day of autumn, with maple-colored hair like her father and freckles like her mother, and eyes as brown as a doe. She was a petite little thing, sweet and caring, and had an affinity for all living creatures. They named her Fawn.

She was a cuddly girl and loved nothing more than to sit in her father’s lap as he read and dictated, whereas Tyria was very independent and could often be found watching her brother’s training with interest. Coll, now fifteen, ruffled his sister’s hair with a fond laugh and told her he might teach her a few things once she got older.

Rodai had been happy before the war, but the sorrow he had experienced during and afterward made him treasure his newfound happiness all the more. Knowing what loss felt like made every moment with his family precious and irreplaceable. Priceless.

If only that odd nagging feeling would go away…

Their third daughter was born during a summer storm that threatened to blow the castle over. They named her Gale after the winds that howled to harmonize with her newborn cries of outrage. After the birth, Aralie took a well-deserved nap while Rodai held his new baby in his arms, smiling down at her. She was strong already, gripping his finger like a vice. Her curls were a mix of his brown coloring with a little of the honey of Aralie, and he thought her eyes might be blue, like his. His smile widened.

A cracking sound made him jump as a bolt of lightning hit a parapet outside the window. With that flash, a memory he had buried for the last six years re-entered his mind, one that made his heart drop like a stone.

_I want daughters._

* * *

Aralie woke from her sleep to find Rodai sitting on the bed next to her, looking down at their daughter with tears streaming down his face. She could tell from his expression that these were not tears of joy.

“Rodai?” She asked him softly, pulling herself into a sitting position.

He shut his eyes tight, more tears falling, one landing on the cheek of the sleeping infant.

“Forgive me,” He said in a pained whisper. “I’m so sorry.”

“What? Why?” Aralie carefully adjusted herself so that she could see him better. Taking his cheek in her hand, she force him to look at her. “What are you sorry for?”

He took a very large breath, and said, “Before we met, after your father invaded the neighboring kingdom, I was desperate to save my people and Coll, my only remaining son and family. I would have done anything to spare him from death or worse, so I sought out help.”

“From who?”

“Zinzo, the Demon King,” He admitted to her fearfully.

A very worried look came over her face. “What did he want?”

“Something I didn’t have.” He stared down at his daughters sleeping face, his lip trembling. “Not at the time, at least.”

“Which was?”

“Brides,” Rodai said sorrowfully. “For his three sons.”

Aralie’s jaw dropped in horror. “Rodai, what did you do?”

He squeezed his eyes shut tight, holding his little girl up and pressing her forehead against his. “I made a deal.”

Aralie’s eyes filled with tears, and she covered her mouth with her hands in shock. “Rodai, how could you do such a thing?”

“How could I have known?” He asked her desperately. “How could I have ever known? Back then, I had no intention of marrying again or having any more children. After losing my wife and sons, I couldn’t face that kind of loss. Not again. I was so desperate to save my home and people, I would have promised everything, even my own life.” He reached out to touch her face, tears falling unimpeded. “How could I have known how much I would love you? How could I have known you’d have given me these three beautiful gifts? I couldn’t. I thought I had already lost everything. I could never have imagined how much more I’d stand to lose.”

She clutched his hand to her cheek, her face falling.

“What can we do?” She sobbed.

“I don’t know,” Rodai said, resting his forehead on hers. “He is a powerful man. I don’t know if there’s anything we can do.”

“But this nation is rich again,” She said, grasping desperately for some solution. “We can give him gold, resources, anything he wants. There must be something else he would be willing to take instead.”

“There isn’t,” A voice said in the shadow of their room. Rodai shot to his feet, clutching his child to him and flinging out a hand to shield Aralie.

The Demon King stepped into the light, looking the same as he did six years ago, down to the garments he wore.

“We have a deal,” Zinzo said, with a hint of menace in his voice. “I do not suffer broken oaths, King of Suida. Not at all.”

“Is there nothing else we could offer?” Aralie cried. “There must be something else.”

“There isn’t,” He repeated. “However, I am not a cruel man. My sons are not yet grown, and your children are still babes yet. There’s no reason to take them with me now. I will wait until the time is right. You will have them until then.”

He stepped toward Rodai, who held Gale to him tightly. Aralie gripped Rodai’s shirt.

“A deal is a deal, Rodai,” Zinzo said, his strange eyes narrowing. “You will honor it, or you will find exactly how much you can lose.”

“Don’t threaten me,” Rodai said with far more confidence than he felt.

Zinzo smiled. “It’s not a threat,” he said. “It’s simply a fact. I would think your losses would make you more mindful of that.”

Rodai’s face contorted in fury. “Leave.”

Zinzo stepped back into the shadows. “I will return,” He said as he disappeared into the darkness. “Be ready.”

When they could no longer feel his presence, Aralie dissolved into weeping. Rodai could do nothing but hold her and weep himself.

“What do we do?” Aralie asked quietly. “Should we tell them?”

“I supposed we’ll have to, at some point.”

“When will that be?”

Rodai sighed. “When the time is right.”

She shook her head at him, exasperated. “And when will _that_ be?”

Rodai looked at her, his heart heavy with guilt and grief. “I’m so sorry, my love. More sorry than I can ever say. I hope one day you can forgive me, but if not, I understand.”

She grabbed him and held him, burying her face in his neck. “I’m very angry with you.”

He used his free arm to press her closer to him, holding Gale so she wouldn't be crushed between them. “I know,” He said into her hair.

There was a knock at the door. It was seventeen year old Coll, leading his little sisters, five and three, in to meet the new member of the family. The girls hopped happily on the bed and cooed over the little one. Coll bear-hugged his father and put a comforting hand on his step-mother’s shoulder, smiling widely and congratulating them.

Rodai and Aralie shared a look, wiping their tears and silently agreeing to keep their shame a secret for now and let this family moment play out. They didn’t know how many they would have left.


	2. Pallidus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a birthday garden party for her youngest sister, Gale, Princess Tyria meets her betrothed. It does not go well.

The three sisters were as vastly different as it was possible to be. They shared some interests between them, but otherwise their personalities were a study in contrasts.

Tyria, the eldest, was tall and bold, confident in a way not shared by her sisters. As heir to two kingdoms, she walked through her life as though her feet were on a set path from which she could not deviate. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, she didn’t like being told what to do at all, which often led to her being called willful by her mother. Her older brother Coll had used a far stronger word, which earned him a boxed ear.

Though striking and opinionated, she was not necessarily hostile and preferred silence to argument. She took great pride in her work, whether it was matters of state, gardening, or her skills with a needle and spinning wheel. She was a proper lady and was happy to be so, although thanks to Coll she was also deft with a bow and quarterstaff.

Coll had made sure all his sisters were able to defend themselves at their father’s insistence. Whenever he was asked why, their father’s mouth would form a grim line and he would merely say, “I’ll worry a little less about you in the future if you are able to defend yourself.”

This answer had confused his four children, but they had learned there were some things their father simply did not wish to discuss and left it at that. Coll had told his sisters that his mother and four elder brothers had died in the Great War before the girls had even been born, and it was clear their loss still haunted him and his father. They figured that if teaching the girls self-defense would ease the king’s worried mind, it was worth doing for that reason alone.

Fawn was a wild child, a shy and dainty little thing, as flighty and skittish as her namesake. She seemed to prefer the company of creatures to people, and would much rather run through a meadow barefoot playing chase with her animal friends than attend grand parties or royal balls. The number of times she had returned to the castle, covered in mud and clutching a new pet, was innumerable. She was always allowed to keep whatever she brought home, so a small menagerie had been built to house her many animal companions. Her father was an austere man at times with years of wear and worry etched into his face, but when it came to his little girls, he was incapable of saying no.

Gale, on the other hand, was a living force of nature. Headstrong and combative, she liked to toe the line just to see how far she could get. If Tyria was willful, Gale was downright obstinate. Perhaps that was the curse of being the youngest, but Gale did seem to be a whirlwind of emotion at times, as uncontrollable as her name suggested. She was talkative and a little bit of a know-it-all, and it didn’t help that she was usually right, which could be infuriating.

The only time she sat still and quiet was when she was reading. The sisters shared a love of books, but their tastes were as varied as the sisters themselves.

Tyria liked instructional books, as learning new skills was something she very much enjoyed. She became an expert in almost anything at which she tried her hand, which meant she was an expert in a fair many things. She also enjoyed teaching, and took it upon herself to teach the children of the castle staff to read and write, an opportunity they may not have had otherwise.

Fawn favored fairy tales and fantastical stories, her imagination equal to that of the authors she adored. She often fantasized about writing her own books, telling stories about voyages and quests of noble, virtuous men and women in search of glory and love. She even kept a book of ideas near her bed, so she could write down her dreams to turn into epics later on.

Gale gravitated to books on sciences and history, her mind more analytical and mathematical than her sisters. She saw patterns and equations in ordinary, everyday things, breaking them down to their basic components. To her, the world was more beautiful when she understood how it all worked. The balance that the universe needed to exist at all was so intricate and complex, and all it would take for it to come crashing down was a slight nudge in any direction. Its fragility made it fascinating.

Despite their differences, they were extremely close. They grew into women faster than their parents were comfortable with, and once puberty had hit the youngest of them, they often would find their mother and father watching them through windows with a heartbreaking expression on their faces. The younger girls brushed it off, but Tyria always felt a sense of foreboding whenever she caught them at it.

* * *

 

The day before Gale was to turn eighteen was far too beautiful a summer day to spend inside, and Tyria planned a picnic for her youngest sister on the grounds of the castle garden. After she spent most of the morning setting it up, she went to collect her sisters from the library.

“Hey, Fawn! Gale! Let’s go outside for a while.”

The younger two shared a look.

“I don’t know, Ty,” Fawn said. “Mother and Father have been acting rather odd lately. They don’t want us going outside.”

“Yes, it’s strange. It’s like they’re suddenly afraid we’ll run away or something,” Gale said, looking up from her astronomy encyclopedia. “I don’t know why they’re so paranoid. It’s perfect here. I’d never want to leave.”

“So they can come with us,” Tyria said. “They won’t be so worried if we stay right where they can see us. Besides, maybe they’re just coming down with something. They’ve been awfully pale recently. The fresh air would do them some good.”

“Perhaps,” Gale said, snapping her book shut. “I’ll go get Papa and Coll. They’re working on the new border map. Grandfather has been carving up the territory again, so the map changes every few years. I’m sure they’d be glad for a break.”

“I’ll fetch Mother, then,” Fawn said, sliding down from the ladder. “Maybe Seelia will want to come, too.”

“Meet me in the rose garden!” Tyria called after them.

Half an hour later, Tyria was joined at the garden table by Fawn, her mother, and Seelia, Coll’s wife of nearly a year.

Seelia was Queen Aralie’s only niece, born to her younger brother who had died in the war. She was a little older than Tylia, so their mother had invited her to live at the castle in Suida in hopes that Coll might take a liking to her. Her plan worked; he fell for her almost immediately and they were married a few short months after her arrival.

Queen Aralie had said the union was simply to strengthen the tie between the kingdoms, but Tyria couldn’t help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive. Despite the fact that Coll had been heir to Suida before the peace treaty, Tyria was the eldest heir to both kingdoms, meaning she would be the one to rule, not Coll. Coll was to be her royal steward, chief advisor, and captain of the guard instead. He could have been angry about the situation, but he had accepted his new role happily, since he said it was his job as a brother to look out for his little sisters, whether they were queens or commoners.

Coll was now fourth in line for Suida after Fawn and Gale, even though he was older than all of them, but he had no claim to Aralie’s father’s kingdom. That is, until he married Seelia, which now made him consort to that country’s next in line, after Tyria and her sisters. Meaning that if Tyria, Fawn, and Gale were all somehow unable to rule, the kingdoms would still be united through Coll’s and Seelia’s marriage, making them equal rulers over both.

Tyria would never believe that her parents were trying to rob her of the throne and replace her with Coll, but she couldn’t help feeling like they were preparing for a future that didn’t include her or her sisters.

“This is lovely, Tyria,” Her mother said. “Did you do this for Gale?”

“Yes, Mama,” Tyria replied. “I know there will be a ball for her tomorrow, but that’s more to entertain visiting dignitaries than for her. Besides, she hates parties. Too many people. I thought she’d might like this better.”

“So thoughtful,” Queen Aralie said, putting an arm around her eldest daughter’s shoulder.

“This is really quite a charming picnic, Tyria,” Seelia said. “I wish I’d had a sister like you growing up. Where is Gale?”

“She’s bringing Coll and Papa,” Fawn said. “I guess the map-making is taking a while.”

“No, there they are,” Seelia said, going to greet her husband with a kiss. Coll wrapped his arms around her and gave her a besotted smile.

King Rodai, looking rather weary, reached for his wife as he arrived at the table, and she embraced him, brushing a lock of hair out of his face. As they looked at each other, Tyria felt it again, that feeling of apprehension she couldn’t place.

She shook it off. Today was for Gale.

“Happy birthday, Gale,” Tyria said as she walked up behind her father.

“This is for me?” Gale said. “You didn’t have to do all this, Ty.”

“Oh, it was no trouble. Sit, sit,” She said, motioning for them all to take their seats.

“So,” Coll said as he took his seat between his wife and his father. “Are you excited for the ball tomorrow, Gale?”

“Not in the slightest,” Gale replied, eating a canape. “I would really rather have just a small gathering of friends and family. I don’t even know half the people who are coming.”

“Well, that’s the whole point,” Coll said. “How are we going to get any offers if you don’t meet anyone?”

“Offers for what?” Gale asked.

“Marriage,” Coll said. “You’re of age now. We should be getting formal offers for you soon, just like we do for Fawn and Tyria.”

Tyria and Fawn looked up in astonishment. Rodai and Aralie shared an uneasy sideways glance.

“What are you talking about?” Fawn asked. “We haven’t gotten any offers.”

“What?” Coll said, laughing. “Of course you have! Tyria’s been getting letters from the Duke in the west since she was seventeen. She’s just too stubborn to answer them.”

“I haven’t gotten any letters!” Tyria said. “I met the Duke once, six years ago!”

“You made an impression, apparently,” Coll said. “If you’d just answer him, maybe you’d like him. He’s not a bad sort, if a little overenthusiastic.”

“Coll, I’m telling you, I’ve never gotten a letter from a duke or anyone else.”

“Yes, you have. Don’t play dumb. Father said you just weren’t interested.”

Tyria look at her father in surprise. “Papa?”

King Rodai gripped Queen Aralie’s hand rather strongly, his jaw working.

“The Duke is unsuitable to wed Tyria. He is not of adequate pedigree.”

Coll narrowed his eyes at his father in disbelief. “You never told her about the offers? What about Fawn? She’s had at least three.”

“ _Papa!_ ” Fawn exclaimed.

Rodai slammed his fist on the table, making the silverware rattle. “The offers were insufficient,” He said angrily. “This discussion is over.”

Everyone at the table sat in a shocked silence. Their father was not a man of anger or violence. He was even-tempered and reasonable and never so much as raised his voice.

King Rodai sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Forgive me, my dears,” He said in a weary voice. “Pay no mind to this old fool; I have not been well of late. We can discuss this later. There’s no reason for the girls to rush into marriage.” He tried to smile but didn’t quite manage it.

“Quite so,” Queen Aralie said in a falsely bright voice. “After all, I didn’t marry your father until I was twenty-eight. Sometimes waiting for the right one pays off.” She patted his hand fondly, and this time he did give her a smile, even if it was a tired one.

“We’ll discuss it later,” He said with finality, the topic clearly not up for debate.

“Yes, papa,” Tyria, Fawn, and Gale said in unison. His children exchanged a confused glance between them and the subject was quickly changed.

After lunch, Coll and Seelia walked back to their apartments alone. King Rodai was going to go back to map-making, but his daughters insisted he take a rest, a notion his wife seconded. He kissed their cheeks fondly, apologizing again for his ungentlemanly behavior and promising to relax for a little while.

“I’m going to find a rose for my corsage tomorrow,” Tyria said, standing from her seat at the table.

“Don’t go far,” Her mother and father said at the same time, sharing another pointed look with each other, their hands clasped tight.

There it was, that feeling again…

The garden was Tyria’s favorite place on the whole of the castle grounds. It overflowed with flowers of all varieties, but her favorites were always the roses. Rosa Mundi, tea roses, bridal, albas, damask, maiden’s blush; she loved them all, but her favorites were the classic long stem red roses known as heirlooms. She thought she might make a crown of the smaller ballerina roses and wear the biggest red rose she could find on the sweeping neckline of her ballgown.

After gathering an armful of the smaller, pink roses from which she would weave her crown, she went in search of the perfect corsage rose, which she found at the very center of the garden, growing in front of the fountain.

The rose was strange, a lone stem growing straight out of the ground instead of a bush, like normal roses. The petals caught the sunlight in such a way that they seemed to glow. Stranger still, this rose appeared to be completely free of thorns. It was the most perfect red rose she’d ever seen, free of spots and damage from insects.

Her higher brain knew this was odd and that she likely shouldn’t touch it, but she felt compelled to do so anyway. Reaching down, she plucked the single red rose from the earth and held it to her nose.

Suddenly, she felt a gust of air and a loud rushing, as though a flock of birds had taken off around her. She shut her eyes against the light and waited for the noise to stop.

When it did, it took all other sound with it. She could no longer hear the twittering of birds or the buzzing of insects, or the sound of the breeze through the shrubbery of the garden.

Opening her eyes, she found herself staring a the fountain, only instead of being outside in the sunshine, it was underneath a high, polished vaulted roof, and instead of the cool grey stone, it was dark black marble. Looking around, she found herself in a garden that was an exact replica of the one at the castle. She was surrounded by bushes heavy with the same kind of rose she held in her hand, long-stemmed and glowing.

The other plants were not near so vibrant. In fact, they seemed to have been drained of color. They didn’t look sickly or damaged, they were just pale and alien, like an odd copy of the real thing. They were strangely pretty in an artificial kind of way, glittering like jewels.

“Do you like it?”

She spun on her heel at the sound of a voice behind her, her heart in her throat, dropping the bundle of flowers in her arms. There, standing several paces away, close enough to be heard but not close enough to be looming, was the most unusual man she had ever seen.

He was tall, even for her who was the same height as her brother, and preternaturally thin. His eyes were almond shaped and solid red, sitting above his high, high cheekbones. His skin was the grey of paper ash, and it darkened to black at the tips of his fingers, which he had clasped together in front of him. His hair was long, shiny black, and straight as a rail, falling well past his waist. Horns like that of an impala spiraled out of the top of his scalp, as shiny black as his hair and decorated with thin chains of silver intricately woven between them.

He seemed to take pride in his appearance without being flamboyant. His clothes were rich but not overly ostentatious, clearly indicating he either was born into or possessed a great deal of wealth. He wore black silk tabard with embroidered silver roses over a bone-white tunic and matching silver breeches. His boots were shiny and black and stopped just below the knee. He wore no jewels other than a thin silver ring with a single small ruby on his right pinky finger and a pair of small silver hoops on each of his long, pointed ears.

He smiled at her, but it was cold smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Not that she could tell, she supposed.

“I know that the rose garden of your home is a place you treasure, so I tried my best to recreate it.” His voice was like a running stream, smooth and sparkling. “I regret that we are unable to grow natural plants down here, but we have no sunlight. Magical plants are all we can manage. I hope you are not too disappointed.”

“I…” She stuttered. “It’s… I’m sorry, who are you?”

His smile slipped from his face and he regarded her with dismay.

“They never told you, did they?” He sighed, frowning. “We were afraid of this.”

“We? Who? Never told me what?” She asked fearfully.

He sighed again. “Forgive me, my lady. Perhaps it would be better if I introduced myself.” He bowed, and then stood as straight as he was able, somehow making himself even taller, and put his hands behind his back in an effort to appear formal and dignified.

 “My name is Pallidus. I am the first son of Zinzo, King of the Dark Realm, and Lenora, Princess of the Snow Elves. I am prince and heir to Cavernae and the Kingdom of the Night Sky. I…” He hesitated. “I am your betrothed. Our marriage was arranged when I was a child in swaddling, before you were even born.”

Tyria’s mouth opened in horror. “What?”

Pallidus grimaced, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is going to be a nightmare.”

“That’s the first thing you’ve said that’s made sense,” Tyria said.

Pallidus huffed a mirthless chuckle. Looking back up at her, he said, “Come. You must speak with my father. He can explain it to you better than I.”

She followed him out of the open face of the garden room and into a long, vast corridor. Giant chandeliers were lined up along the peak of the ceiling, bathing everything in a pale light. On either side of the hall, there were rows of rooms behind railings three stories high. Judging by the space between each doors, the rooms beyond must have been massive.

Despite the fact that all the rooms were enormous, she still felt an oppressive, claustrophobic pressure that she couldn’t understand. It wasn’t until she remembered what Pallidus had said about growing plants _down here_ that she realized she was underground. How far underground, she wasn’t sure.

He led her to another room off of the main hall, an ornate sitting room wherein there were four people lounging, doing various things. There was a lovely, ghostly blue woman sitting in a corner with another young man, far shorter than Pallidus but with a similar complexion and facial features, wearing a long, messy braid down his back. He had something more like roe deer antlers than horns on his head and an actual, honest-to-gods _tail_. Both of them were absorbed in the same large tome and were discussing the contents quietly but animatedly.

A disturbingly large man with bulging muscles, the horns of a ram, and skin of a darker grey hue than his other brothers sat at a table alone, putting together a model of a tower. An older man with a near-black complexion sat at a desk in the middle of the room, scribbling furiously on a sheet of parchment.

Pallidus cleared his throat. “Father,” He called.

The man at the desk looked up, his eyes an eerie solid white. His face split into a smile as he saw who was standing with his eldest son. Both of the other young men looked up as well and smiled brightly at Pallidus, almost as if he had accomplished something amazing.

“Princess Tyria!” Said the older man. Tyria assumed this must have been the infamous Zinzo of which she had heard. “How lovely to see you, my dear. We’ve been awaiting your arrival for quite some time now.”

Tyria swallowed her terror and did her best to curtsy. “My lord,” She said shakily.

“Now, now, you have no need to fear me, my dear,” He said, reaching out for her hand, which she gave hesitantly. “I have no intention of harming you. After all, we’re going to be family soon.”

“Yes, your son mentioned that,” Tyria replied. “I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with the specifics of the arrangement. Perhaps you could explain it to me, Your Majesty.”

Behind him, Tyria saw the faces of the other two men fall a little. Pallidus went to stand with them and spoke to them in an undertone with a serious expression on his face. Whatever he had told them seemed to make his brothers seemed even more distressed.

“Many years ago, when your country was at war, your father came to me and begged for help to save his son and country. In exchange, he would offer his daughters to wed my sons,” Zinzo explained.

“But we hadn’t even been born during the war. It had been over for a few years before my parents had me,” Tyria said. “And besides, you didn’t stop the war. My mother married my father to end it.”

“Ah, yes,” Zinzo said. “But you see, before your father came to me, your grandfather, the Conqueror King, was hellbent on seizing your father’s land to expand his empire. He was quite adamant about it. His advisors had brought up the subject of a political marriage, and he had refused the idea. It was a visit from myself that changed his mind. I gave him a push, you might say.”

“You’re why my parents got married?” Tyria said weakly.

“Yes,” Zinzo replied. “Had I not convinced your grandfather of the arrangement, he would have killed your father and brother and claimed your home kingdom as his own. You and your sisters would never have been born. You might say that you owe your very existence to me. Marrying my sons seems like a small price to pay in return for being created.”

Tyria scrubbed her face with her hands. “That’s why he rejected all the letters of intent,” She said slowly. “Because we were already spoken for. And he never even told me. He didn’t even tell Coll.”

“Just so,” Zinzo replied. “I’m afraid your sire is something of a coward.”

“Father,” Pallidus said, a hint of warning in his voice. “The lady is already confused and upset. There’s no reason to be antagonistic.”

“No,” Tyria said, her face hardening with anger. “He’s right. My father is a coward.” She looked at Zinzo with an indecipherable expression. “Did my mother know?”

“As I understand it, not until after you and your sisters were born. He told her then.”

“And even she said nothing,” Tyria said, chewing her lip with her arms crossed. “So, when is the wedding supposed to happen? Now? Am I even allowed to sleep on it, or do I have no choice in that, either?”

“Do not think me callous, princess,” Zinzo replied. “I would hate to see my sons marry women who would make them unhappy. I’m giving them a grace period in which to win your affections. How they achieve that will be up to them. The wedding will take place either way eventually, but the least I can do is give them time to endear themselves to you.”

Tyria couldn’t help but feel slightly relieved. It was better than nothing. “How long is the grace period?”

“A year,” Zinzo said. “Seems like a decent amount of time. Most people in arrangements like this are not afforded such a luxury.”

“And my sisters?”

“They’ll come when it is their time. I’d rather not have the three of you together at once so that you influence each other against my sons.”

“So I won’t see my sisters for a year?”

“That’s entirely up to you, my dear,” Zinzo replied.

She shook her head in aggravation, her arms still crossed. “Forgive me for saying so, my Lord, but I do not like this at all.”

“You’re displeasure is noted,” Zinzo said, he motioned his head at his eldest son, who went to stand behind Tyria. “Pallidus will show you were you will be staying.”

“This way, my Lady,” Pallidus said.

“Wait, please,” The younger brother, the one with the braid, said. “Since you did not know, is it also true that your sisters do not know about us, either?”

“Yes, it’s true,” Tyria said. “No one told us anything about this.”

The two younger brothers looked crestfallen. Pallidus’s face was impassive.

“Come, please,” He said, bowing, gesturing toward the door. She allowed him to escort her from the room.

Walking the corridor, which seemed endless, Pallidus said, “I apologize. This must be very frightening for you.”

“I’m not frightened,” Tyria said. “I’m angry.”

“And you have every right to be,” Pallidus said. “I’m sure I would be if I were in your place.” After a moment, he said, “My brothers and I have been watching you and your sisters for years. I was greatly anticipating meeting you after all that time, and I sincerely hoped you were looking forward to meeting me as well. Knowing you were finally arriving today was exciting. I feel… unhappy that our first encounter was so disquieting. It’s certainly not what I had pictured in my head.”

“Wait, you watched us?” Tyria said. “How?”

“Oh,” He reached into his tabard and pulled out a small hand mirror. It was plain silver with no decoration. “Mother wanted us to get to know our future brides, so she gave us these mirrors so we could learn about you. It works with any reflective surface. See?” He handed it to her and she looked at the glass, seeing not her reflection, but her sewing room back at the castle from the mirror over the fireplace. The sight of it made her heart ache. “It’s how I knew about the rose garden. You spend so much of your time there.”

“You watched us _all_ the time?” She asked him dubiously.

He seemed confused by her tone, but then his eyes shot wide and he replied, “Oh! No, no, no, of course not. My brothers and I are gentlemen. We never do that sort of thing.”

“Hmm.” She handed him back the mirror and he put it back in the pocket of his tabard. “If you say so.” She looked at him shrewdly. “I’m not staying in your quarters, am I?”

“Goodness, no, that would be most inappropriate. You have your own apartments. Honestly, I’ve had them set up for years now, awaiting your arrival.” He stopped a a tall door, ornately decorated with gold roses. “It contains everything you need to be comfortable. You will also have your own handmaiden and chambergirl to wait on you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Tyria said huffily “ I’m not a child, I can take care of myself.”

“Nevertheless, they will be there if you need them,” He said, frowning. “Dinner will be served soon. Meals are taken in the Great Hall, and I’m afraid your presence will be mandatory. Not even my brothers and I are permitted to be absent without good reason. Should you need anything else, please summon me and I will assist you.”

Tyria didn’t answer. Pallidus reached past her and opened the door to her rooms for her.

“I know you are upset, Lady Tyria, but rest assured, my brothers and I have no more control over the situation than you do. I hope you will not hold it against us.”

Tyria sighed. “I suppose that’s true, but it doesn’t change anything.”

She left him looking rather dejected in the hall and shut the door with a sharp snap. As she moved away, she heard him say through the door, “Well, this is a disaster.”

She couldn't help but agree.

* * *

 

Weeks went by with no progress. During mealtimes, she was always placed next to Pallidus but she only spoke when asked a direct question. Pallidus tried several times to engage her in conversation, but after a week of only one or two word answers, he gave up, and meals passed in silence.

Otherwise, Tyria kept to her room, rejecting any guests or offers to meet. Pallidus sent her gifts and tokens, which she sent back unopened with a note politely but firmly informing him that she was not the type to swoon over jewels and trinkets. She would not be swayed.

The only things she asked her maids for was something to occupy her hands, and they had given her bushels of yarn and thread and fabrics and fibers she could use to make all sorts of things. For a time, it was plenty to hold her attention.

After a while, though, she became bored of the fiber works and asked her handmaid where the library was. She had overheard the brothers talking about it. Her handmaiden led her to the huge room filled floor to ceiling with books. She thought the library at home was vast, but she had never seen so many books in one place. It was impressive.

She hadn’t counted on someone else being there. It was the youngest brother, the one with a tail. He apparently hadn’t been expecting her either, because he dropped the books he was holding on his feet at the sight of her. His eyes were red, like his older brother, but he seemed to be the only one of his family that possessed pupils.

“Lady Tyria!” He said, forgetting the books in a pile at his feet. He stopped in front of her and bowed. “What a lovely surprise. I’m glad to see you out of your room at last.”

“Well, it was getting boring just sitting in my room all day with nothing to do. I’ve already finished all the sewing tasks I asked for.” She gestured to the room vaguely. “This is more books than I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, this?” He waved a hand dismissively. “This is nothing. The library encompasses forty-eight rooms of the palace. This is just the smallest room.”

“Whoa,” Tyria marveled. “I wish my sisters could see this, they’d love it.”

“They will in time,” He said, bending to pick up the books he dropped and sorting them by title. “My name is Genus. I’m intended for your youngest sister, Gale.”

“I’m sure she’ll be as delighted about it as I am,” Tyria said sarcastically.

He sighed. “Listen, this is uncomfortable for all of us, you know. We really thought you and your sisters would have known about us. We had been told about the arrangement when we were children, so we grew up just accepting it. It wasn’t until recently we noticed you three hadn’t made any sort of preparations to come, and we were worried no one had told you about the betrothal.” He sat at the desk near the tallest wall shelf. “That’s why Pallidus made the rose garden for you. He wanted you to have something familiar when you came so you wouldn’t be so upset. I guess it didn’t work.”

“The rose garden was nice,” She said reluctantly. “And it was a kind gesture. I do appreciate it.”

“So why are you avoiding Pallidus?” Genus asked. “Not that he’d admit it, but he is rather unhappy.”

“Because I don’t like being in a situation I can’t control. Because I don’t like the idea that strangers watched me my whole life without my knowledge, that my parents kept secrets from me and my sisters, and that other people I don’t even know have the right to decide my future. I hate that don’t get any say in the matter. And I _absolutely_ hate the fact that I’m just expected to be all right with it.”

“I suppose that is understandable,” He mused. “I’d probably find it rather frustrating, too, if I were in your position. My brothers and I do have an unfair advantage. We know everything about you and you know nothing about us.” He stood up and walked up to her, handing her a book about roses. “So, why not even the score? Why don’t you just talk to Pallidus? You don’t have to agree to anything, just talk. My eldest brother is the most reasonable out of all of us. I’m sure you’d like him if you gave him a chance.”

“Liking him isn’t the problem,” Tyria retorted. “But maybe your right. He’s got no more say in this than I do. The least I could do is talk to him, I suppose, but I’m not going to go out of my way to do it. If he wants to talk, he’ll have to come to me.”

He cocked a sardonic eyebrow at her, his tail waving behind his head. “How is he supposed to do that if you spend all your time in your room?”

She pulled a face. “No one likes a know-it-all.”

He grinned. “I’m hoping Gale disagrees. Besides, Pallidus might be the wisest, and I may be the smartest, but it doesn’t take a genius to know you’re being coy.”

She grumbled and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe I should take another peek at the garden. I haven’t been there since the day I arrived.”

He nodded happily. “Might do you some good.”

* * *

 

The garden was as pretty as she had remembered, if unusual to look at. It was a mirror of her own garden at home, so she knew the ins and outs of it like the back of her hand. She decided to go to the very center, where there was a sizable sitting area, and wait. She had no doubt that Genus had run off to tell his brother than she had finally agreed to talk as soon as she was out of sight, so she expected to see Pallidus sooner rather than later.

She had been right. She hadn’t been on the bench for more than five minutes when she heard the rustling of grass and found the tall, strange, slender prince walking up slowly with his hands behind his back. He was dressed in a blue linen tunic and black pants with a sapphire pendant around his neck that hung to his stomach.

“Good afternoon, Lady Tyria,” He said.

“Good afternoon, Lord Pallidus,” She replied.

He seemed to take the fact that she was exchanging pleasantries as a good sign and smiled. Normally, she only nodded politely when greeted.

“May I join you?” He asked.

“If you wish,” She replied, setting aside her knitting.

He sat on the black stone bench beside her, arranging his long legs in front of him, and peered curiously at her work. “What are you making?”

“A blanket,” She said. “My brother Coll and his wife were talking of starting a family before I left. This was going to be a gift for the baby when she finally became pregnant.” Tyria sighed. “Not that I have any way to get it to her now.”

“That’s quite thoughtful of you,” Pallidus said. “But you’ve always been a thoughtful person, haven’t you? That’s one of the things I like best about you.”

“You know, it’s awfully strange when you talk about me like we know each other,” She said warily.

He winced. “Forgive me. By watching you through the mirror, I’ve come to see you as a close friend, so it’s easy forget that we aren’t. I suppose I should have prepared myself for the possibility that you might actually hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, Pallidus,” Tyria said quickly.

“You don’t like me much,” He replied.

“I don’t _know_ you. I don’t know enough about you to either like or dislike you. That’s not even the biggest problem.”

“What is?” He asked.

She sighed and tried to organize her thoughts, framing what she wanted to say in a way that wouldn’t be hurtful.

“You’ve grown up knowing that you and I were to be married someday, but I grew up believing that I was to take up the reins of two kingdoms as the ruling sovereign. I had spent my entire life learning what I needed to know to fulfill that role. This, an arranged marriage, was nowhere in the curriculum. I expected I would have to marry and produce an heir eventually, but my husband would be the consort, not the other way around. I… I had a plan. This wasn’t it.”

“So,” He said slowly. “You feel cheated out of your birthright.”

“Yes!” Tyria said emphatically. “Now I understand why they were so adamant about Coll marrying into the Conqueror King’s family, because they knew he would be the successor, not me. That’s what’s so galling about the whole thing: my parents sat there and watched me prepare myself for the duties as queen and never once suggested I should slow down or stop altogether. They let Coll believe he would only be my second in command, when really they always knew he’d be king. Coll would make a wonderful king, don’t misunderstand, but he and I both thought we would be playing much different roles than the ones we’re in now. He’s not prepared to be king any more than I’m prepared to be a bride.”

“But you are of marrying age, are you not? Twenty-three is plenty old enough.”

She sighed in exasperation. “Being old enough to _get_ married doesn’t make you ready to _be_ married. Until recently, it wasn’t something I even thought all that much about. I was far more concerned with matters of state.” She crossed her arms and sat back against the bench’s railing. “I guess I don’t have to concern myself with such things anymore.”

“Not so,” Pallidus said pensively. “I am to inherit my father’s kingdom after him. If we do marry, you will become my queen, and your knowledge of governance will be invaluable to me.”

“Well, I suppose there’s some consolation in the fact that the years I spent training myself in a specific skill set won’t be completely wasted,” She said resignedly.

She watched her with tension in his shoulders. “Is that why you didn’t want to talk to me? Do you blame me?”

“No,” She said, shaking her head. “It's not your fault. I didn’t want to talk to you because I thought the only thing you’d want to talk about is the betrothal. That’s the last thing I want to talk about.”

“So what do you want to talk about?”

“Literally anything else,” She replied. “Genus said that it’s unfair that I don’t know anything about you, and I agree. So, let’s talk about you.”

“Me?” He said, surprised. “What about me?”

“Um... what’s your favorite color?”

“Oh,” He mused, thinking. “Green.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s the color we see the least,” He said a little sadly, looking at the pale leaves of the rose bushes. “Like I said before, natural plants don’t grow down here, so green is a rare color for us. Honestly, the only time I ever see it is when I look at you through the mirror. I often find myself looking upon your garden when you’re not there, just to look at all the green.”

Tyria looked as his grey face, staring off into the distance, and for the first time felt sympathy for him. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like living without simple things like plants or an entire color. His life seemed rich, but how would she feel if she never saw green? Like she was missing something. Is that how he felt? Had he ever left the caverns?

She didn't like the melancholy look on his face, so she changed the subject.

“What’s your favorite thing to read?” She asked.

He turned to her, his expression brightening. “Oh, all sorts of things. I don’t know if I could pick a favorite.” He smiled.

She had to admit, as odd as he was, he did have a nice smile.

Once she allowed herself to talk to him, and after drawing very firm boundaries about what she was willing and unwilling to discuss, it was a very pleasant way to pass the time. She asked him dozens of questions every day, and he was more than pleased to answer. Once, she had absentmindedly told a silly joke that used to make Fawn laugh, and was pleased to hear him chuckle. She then made it her mission to make him laugh at least once a day. She also broke her habit of not talking during meals, and even engaged Genus and Viribus, the middle brother with big muscles and black eyes, in conversation. They found this encouraging.

She also had made an effort to wear one item of green a day, whether it was a skirt or dress or hair accessory, and he smiled every time he saw it. She hadn’t realized how warm his eyes could be at first, but now that she knew him a little better, she realized they had always been warm, she just couldn’t recognize it. In this cold kingdom, he was a glowing point of warmth to which she could cling.

Weeks passed like this, and Tyria was surprised at how comfortable she had become here. She still missed her family, but she could at least pass the time in comfort and company. And the company was the best part.

One day, she surprised Pallidus with a gift.

“What’s this?” He asked as they sat in the jewel-bright grass of the garden, where they spend much of their time together. She had present him with a small packet tied with hand-woven ribbon, no doubt made entirely by Tyria.

“Open it and see,” She said, sitting close enough for their arms to touch.

He smiled at her fondly, and pulled the ribbon. The packet fell open to reveal a green tunic she had just finished that morning, with gold and silver knotwork embroidered on the neck and sleeves.

“Do you like it?” She asked. “It took a lot of trial and error to get the color right, but I think it turned out nice.”

Instead of answering, Pallidus pulled his black tunic over his head immediately, carefully extricating it from his horns. Tyria blushed a little to see his exposed torso and was seized with an overwhelming urge to touch the skin of his pale back, but before she could, he covered it again with the new tunic, which fit perfectly.

“It’s beautiful, Ty,” He said, smiling widely at her. “I love it, thank you.” He bent and planted a swift kiss on her cheek, making her blush stronger.

She smiled slyly. “I feel like my efforts deserve a better reward.”

He quirked his head, the chains around his horns tinkling slightly as he moved. “Of course, anything. What would you like?”

“This,” She said, and pressed her lips to his. He stiffened at first in surprise, but quickly melted into the kiss, daring to put his arm around her shoulder. She reciprocated, letting her hand clutch the fabric on his back between his shoulder blades.

Tyria pulled back a little and gazed at his face. Ah, there was that smile…

Which quickly faded to shock when there was a flash of light and a rushing sound, and the form of Tyria’s younger sister, Fawn, appeared out of thin air.


	3. Viribus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Tyria kisses Pallidus, Fawn suddenly appears before them. It's time for her to meet her betrothed.

Twenty-year-old Fawn sat with her father, mother, and younger sister at the garden table, sulking. How could her father have not told her there were men asking for her hand in marriage? She had read so many stories about great romances and royal weddings and was rather annoyed that she could be missing out on her own. But after her father’s explosive display, she kept her thoughts to herself.

“To be honest, I’m glad you’re rejecting letters,” Gale said haughtily, pulling a book from the pocket of her apron and opening it. “I don’t want to get married. If I did, I’d have to go live with my husband. I much rather stay here.”

Fawn thought that would make her parents happy, but if anything, they looked even more dismayed.

Fawn could feel things getting tense again, even if Gale was oblivious. She stood up, draining her teacup and putting a roll in her pocket.

“I’m going to the menagerie,” She said, taking a few biscuits and a apple tart, too. “I want to take a look at Daisy’s leg. She was favoring it yesterday.” She kissed her mother’s cheek and patted her father’s shoulder as she passed them.

Daisy was a goat she had rescued after she had gotten mauled by a wolf and then was left for dead when hunters chased the wolf off. Fawn had found her a few weeks ago limping on the edge of the castle grounds, eating flowers from their field. Fawn had been nursing her back to health over the past several weeks and Daisy had been getting better, but yesterday she began limping on her bad leg again and Fawn wondered if the leg hadn’t healed right.

The menagerie was located just on the other side of the garden, situated between it and the greenhouse, where they grew most of their own herbs and spices. The menagerie was built in much the same way as the greenhouse, except it had mesh wire instead of glass encasing it.

Inside, the smell of animals was strong, but it wasn’t one she minded. She rolled up her sleeves and put on her leather work apron and got started mucking out the bird cages. Her parents insisted she let the staff do these sorts of unpleasant chores, but Fawn had never been afraid of getting dirty. Once the cages were clean, she refilled their water and seed bowls, moving on to the squirrels and chipmunks, breaking the roll into little pieces for them.

Most of the animals in the menagerie were rescues, and it always made Fawn sad to let them go, but she knew they belonged back out in the forest. There were only a few animals who would be permanent residents, like the blinded owl and the stoat that was missing it’s front paw.

Once the feeding and watering and mucking out was done, she finally turned her attention to Daisy. Removing her apron and washing her hands, she opened the stall to the makeshift infirmary and checked Daisy’s leg.

“Seems like it’s better today,” Fawn said, pleased. Daisy was sniffing Fawn’s pockets, looking for treats, walking perfectly well on her injured leg. “That’s good. Soon you’ll be able to go back home. Although, if you’d like to stay here with me, I wouldn’t mind that either.” She took a biscuit from her pocket and fed it to Daisy, who happily munched away.

She took Daisy out of the menagerie so that she could graze in the field beyond, taking the opportunity to change the straw bedding of her stall. Taking a pitchfork, Fawn shifted the straw and moved it into the center of the stall, so it would be easier to haul, and as she did so, something buried in the middle of it caught her eye. It was large and black.

Thinking maybe a skunk had had her kits in here, Fawn set the pitchfork aside and she sifted through the straw until she could see the object clearly. It was a rose, a solid black rose, from the petals to the stem. Fawn couldn’t remember if this variety had ever grown in Tyria’s rose garden. Did roses even come in black? Pondering, she reached down and picked it up, accidentally pricking her finger on a thorn she couldn’t see because it blended in so well.

There was a snap and a bright flash of light, which Fawn shielded her eyes against. She felt as though she were whirling through the air, and clutched herself until the spinning stopped.

“ _Fawn!_ ”

Fawn opened her eyes to find herself in a dark place, lit from above by glowing chandeliers. In front of her was her sister, Tyria, running toward her with her arms outstretched. Behind her was… a man? If it was, it was the strangest man she’d ever seen. As Tyria ran toward her, the stranger abruptly dashed away.

“Oh, gods, Fawn, it’s so good to see you!” Tyria said as she flung herself onto her little sister and held her tight. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“Wait, what? Missed me?” Fawn said, pulling Tyria off of her and holding her at arms length. “What are you talking about? I just saw you ten minutes ago. You went to get a rose for your corsage.”

Tyria’s brows knitted together in disbelief. “Fawn, I’ve been here for _months_.”

“What?” Fawn stared at her sister, dumbstruck, looking around her at the weird, color-washed copy of the rose garden back home. “Where is here?”

“Cavernae.”

“The demon kingdom?” Fawn laughed at her sister skeptically. “Tyria, I’m the one who’s supposed to believe in tall tales, not you.”

“Does this look like a fairy story to you?” Tyria replied, gesturing around at the dark walls and pale blue lights that flickered and danced on the stone of the ceiling.

“All right, you have a point,” Fawn said reluctantly. “So what are we doing here?”  

“Oh, Fawn,” Tyria said in a distressed tone. “There’s something I need to tell you. And you may not like it very much. Here, sit down here with me.”

“All right,” Fawn replied slowly, sitting on a bench nearby.

Tyria took a very large breath, sat down beside her, and said, “Do you remember how Father was receiving letters of intent for you and I, but was rejecting them all?”

“Yes?”

“There’s a reason for that.”

“Which is?”

“We’re already betrothed. All of us. Even Gale.”

Fawn’s mouth dropped in horror. “What?”

“Father promised us to the Demon King’s sons during the Great War in an effort to save Coll and his kingdom. We were engaged to be wed before our parents even met each other.”

“But, how could the Demon King have known we’d even exist?”

“I don’t know,” Tyria said. “The Demon King has amazing foresight, I guess.”

“So, the… man I saw you with, he’s your…?”

“His name is Pallidus. He’s the eldest of Zinzo’s sons. And yes, he’s my intended.”

“Do you… like him?” She seemed pretty cozy with him when Fawn arrived.

“Yes, I do. I’m not sure I like him enough to marry him yet, though, but he is wonderful company. Trust me, I had just as many misgivings as you when I first got here. It took a long time for me to warm up to him. I wouldn’t even speak to him for weeks.”

“So,” Fawn said slowly. “Who am I…”

“Viribus.” Tyria rested a hand on Fawn’s shoulder and regarded her in that annoying older sister _I-know-what’s-best_  kind of way. “You mustn’t judge him too harshly when you see him. He may look rather intimidating, but I promise you he’s a very sweet man, if a little insecure. Try not to say anything rude; he’s sensitive.”

“Viribus,” Fawn repeated. “When will I meet him?”

Tyria looked past her, and jerked her chin up to indicate that Fawn should turn around.

“Don’t be afraid,” Tyria whispered in her ear.

Fawn rose from the bench and turned. She saw the tall, slender man she’d seen before, Pallidus, the one who had been sitting with Tyria when she opened her eyes for the first time in this realm. Next to him was a man even stranger than the first.

He was just as tall as his brother, but where Pallidus was thin in an eldritch sort of way, this other man was nothing short of __massive__. He had muscle on muscle, barely contained in the fabric of his tunic, and it looked as substantial as a boulder. Fawn had always been short, but compared to this man, she was nothing more than a china doll, tiny and breakable, the top of her head not even reaching the middle of his chest.

His hair was black, like his brother, but rather than long and straight, it was cut short and curled slightly. His big horns twisted around his head, like a ram, and his short, pointed ears stuck out of the space between. His eyes were solid black, and his skin was the color of slate, grey with a tinge of dark blue. His clothes were far plainer than Pallidus’s, but no less rich or well made, and he held a bouquet of the same black roses like the one Fawn still had clutched in her hand. If he could feel the thorns, he gave no sign.

“For you,” He said, his voice as deep as a chasm in the earth. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you, Fawn.”

All at once, Fawn’s head began to spin again. She swayed, putting a hand to her forehead.

“Forgive me,” She said vaguely. “I think I need to…”

Before she could finish her sentence, she fell forward. Viribus dropped the roses and rushed to catch her before she hit the ground. His face was panicked.

“I didn’t mean to scare her,” He said, visibly upset.

“It’s all right, Viri,” Tyria said, patting his back. “She’s just overwhelmed. Trust me, I know exactly how she feels. Let’s just get her to her chambers for now, all right?”

“They’re ready for her,” Pallidus said. “Do you need me to come?”

Tyria turned to kiss Pallidus’s cheek. “No, I think it would be better if we gave her some room to breathe. I’ll come by the library later, all right? Wait for me.”

Pallidus nodded, and Tyria followed Viribus to the apartments that had been set up for Fawn, which were right next to her own.

Opening the door, she instructed Viribus to lay her on the bed and help her pull Fawn’s shoes off. Once done, Viribus began to back out of the room.

“I should go,” He said nervously. “She won’t want to see me when she wakes.”

“No, Viri, stay. I’ll stay with you. She should wake up soon, and I’ll help you talk to her. She just arrived; don’t give up just yet.”

Viribus frowned with worry, looking down at Fawn’s sleeping form. “I knew she was a slight little thing, but I didn’t realize how tiny she actually was. I can’t be the one intended for her, I’ll break her.”

“No, you won’t,” Tyria said comfortingly. “You would never hurt her, I know you wouldn’t. You’re a gentle soul, Viri.”

Viribus continued to frown, but he opened the drawer of Fawn’s bedside table and pulled out two books. One was a copy of _Beauty and the Beast_ , one of Fawn’s favorite stories, and the second was a blank book for her to write in.

“When did you put those in here?” Tyria asked.

“The day you came,” Viribus replied. “I had hoped she would join you soon, so I put some things in her room I thought she’d like.”

“That was sweet of you,” Tyria said, patting his arm.

“I just hope she thinks so, too.” He set the books down on the bed next to her hand, and only then did he notice the drop of blood on the bedclothes.

“She pricked her finger,” He said, very, very carefully lifting her hand to examine it, as though she were made of porcelain. “It must have been from the rose. I didn’t even do that right.”

Tyria smacked him lightly on the arm with the back of her hand. It was like hitting solid stone.

“Stop beating yourself up. There’s nothing wrong with you or the way you do things. You’re too hard on yourself.”

Fawn began to stir, and Viribus backed away again.

“Stop right there,” Tyria said, pointing at his feet commandingly. He froze. She went to fetch a chair from Fawn’s new vanity for him to sit on. “Sit.”

He did so, but seemed to be doing his best to make himself appear smaller. It didn’t work. She handed him the books he had laid on the bed.

“It would be better if she got them from you,” Tyria said. Viribus’s face was doubtful, but he took them anyway.

Fawn sat up slowly in the bed, looking around her new quarters, which had been painted sky blue, Fawn’s favorite color. The ceiling had been decorated with paintings of clouds, corpuscular rays, and tiny flocks of birds. Tyria had situated herself on the edge of the bed.

“Ty,” Fawn said weakly. “Is this…?”

“Still Cavernae, yes,” Tyria replied.

“Where are we now?”

“Your quarters. They’re right next to mine. There’s a door over there,” She pointed. “That leads into my rooms, should you need me.”

Viribus cleared his throat cautiously, and Fawn’s head snapped around to look at him.

“I’m sorry I frightened you,” He said in quiet voice. “I didn’t mean to. I’m just that way, I guess.”

Fawn looked at him, his eyes downcast, his posture hunched. He reminded her of a beaten dog and she couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him, as alarming as he was.

“It… it’s all right,” She said shakily. “I was just a little surprised, that’s all.”

He nodded. He held out the books for her to take, but refused to stand up or move any closer, lest she become frightened again.

“What are those?” She asked, putting her bare feet on the floor and standing.

“Gifts,” He replied. “I know you like to write your thoughts down in a journal, and while I couldn’t retrieve the one from your home, I thought you might still like to do so. This blue one is blank. The other is a story I know you enjoy.”

She took the books from his hands. His movements were slow and deliberate, as though she was the creature for which she was named and might scurry off if he moved too fast.

“Beauty and the Beast?” She said, surprised.

“Yes,” He replied, still looking down at his feet, his hands fidgeting in his lap. “A story about a beautiful woman who falls in love with a hideous creature. The beast is then transformed back into a handsome prince through the power of her love.” He shrugged one of his shoulders and grimaced. “I’m sorry I can’t do that. I’ll be like this forever, regardless of who does or doesn’t love me.”

She felt a peculiar aching in her heart that compelled her to extend a shaky hand, taking his chin and lifting his face so she could see his eyes. She was startled in a completely different way when he looked at her full on; he gazed at her as though she were sunlight, or starlight, or some equally radiant thing. Like he was looking at the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. It was rather intense. Her heart skipped a beat.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” She said softly, pulling her hand away. “There’s nothing wrong with being a little different. People can’t help how they’re born.” She managed a tremulous smile. “I’m sorry if I was rude. I didn’t mean to cause such a fuss.”

“No, it’s my fault,” He said. “I shouldn’t have just sprung myself on you like that. I should have been more careful. I’m just glad I was able to catch you before you hit your head on the bench.”

“You caught me?” Fawn said, a genuine smile on her face. “Thank you.”

Viribus seemed transfixed by her smile and didn’t appear to be capable of answering. Tyria hid her own smile behind her hand. She couldn’t help but be amused by this mountain of a man rendered speechless by her wild, flighty little sister.

“How did you know this story was my favorite?” Fawn asked.

“I’ve seen you read it hundred of times,” Viribus said.

“ _Seen_ me?”

“Yes,” He replied, pulling a mirror identical to Pallidus’s out of his trouser pocket. “Mother enchanted these and gave them to my brothers and I. It has helped me learn about you.”

“Oh, like in Cinderella.”

“Yes. I’ve watched you cycle through hundreds of  books, but you always return to this one sooner or later. I can’t read it myself, but I’ve heard you read it out loud enough times that I know it by heart.”

Her smiled faded and she looked at him in concern. “You can’t read?”

“No,” Viribus said sadly. “And the tragedy of it is that I love stories very much. But when I try to read, the letters jump and dance on the page and I can’t concentrate on it. Father is the same, though not as bad as me. I used to beg Mother to read to me constantly, but I stopped when I became grown.” He saw the sympathetic look on her face and added: “I’m not stupid. I understand a great many things, I just can’t read about them.”

“I could read to you, if you like,” Fawn said brightly. “I read for my animals all the time. I like having an audience.”

“You would do that?” Viribus asked.

“Of course,” Fawn said. “I couldn’t imagine not being able to read. That would be my worst nightmare.”

“If that’s the case,” Tyria said, standing. “You should see the library. It’s amazing. You could pick out a few books while your there and get started.”

“Oh, yes, let’s do that,” Viribus said enthusiastically, standing to his full, impressive height.

Fawn took a step back without thinking.

“Oh,” Viribus backed up as well, ducking his head. “I’m sorry.”

Fawn glanced at Tyria, who gave her a pointed look. Taking a deep breath, Fawn resolutely stepped forward and took Viribus’s hand.

“Will you show me the library?” She asked him.

“Yes,” He replied, smiling hesitantly. “Yes, I would love to.”

* * *

 

Pallidus was there, leaning against a desk with a small book in his hand, waiting for Tyria like she requested. He closed the book and set it on the desk, standing up straight as they entered, smiling widely at the sight of Fawn and Viribus together. Pallidus extended his elbow for Tyria, which she took.

“I really didn’t get the chance to introduce you two properly earlier,” Tyria said. “Fawn, this is Prince Pallidus, Heir of Cavernae. Pallidus, this is Princess Fawn of Suida, my middle sister.”

Pallidus bowed low, the delicate chains around his horns making a pleasant ringing sound as he moved. “It is an honor to finally meet you, my Lady,” He said.

Fawn curtsied. “A pleasure, my Lord.”

“She hasn’t met Genus yet. Is he here?” Tyria asked.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s in one of these rooms, he always is. I could find him, if you wish.”

“No, no, she’ll likely meet him soon enough, anyhow. Dinner will be in a little while.”

“Speaking of which,” Pallidus said. “Why don’t we go speak to Mother about the menu? Fawn is vegetarian, didn’t you say?”

“Yes, she is,” Tyria said, winking at him cheekily. “We’ll see you at dinner, all right?”

Fawn nodded, a little apprehensive. “All right.”

Pallidus and Tyria excused themselves and left, still arm in arm.

Viribus gulped nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “So… would you like a tour of the library?”

Fawn swallowed her terror at being left alone with this grey giant and said, “Yes, please.”

He took her through each of the many rooms that made up the library, smiling a little at her excitement as she forgot her nervousness and looked over each title, every tiny leaflet, every oversize tome. He walked with her, but was always mindful to leave several paces between them, so she didn’t feel like he was looming over her.

She’d spend a lot of time examining each row for books she recognized, and even pulled a few off the shelf that she had never heard of before, asking him about them. He only knew the story of one, so she put that one back and kept the two he didn’t know to be read later.

In the very center of the seventeenth room, she found a huge model castle, carefully hand painted and glittering, sitting on a pedestal.

“Oh!” She breathed, rushing over to it as soon as she saw it. “Look at this! This is an exact replica of the castle in my Cinderella storybook. Where did you get this?”

“That?” He said. “I made that.”

She turned to look at him, her mouth hanging open in shock. “You _made_ this?”

“Yes,” He came to stand on the other side, so that the table was between them, and pressed a tiny button on the side. There was a minuscule chiming sound.

She laughed with delight. “The little bell tower even works! Oh, Viribus, this is lovely.”

“You like it?” He asked, pleased.

“Yes, very much,” Fawn said.

“Then it’s yours,” He replied.

“What, no! It belongs in the library. It’s perfect here. It makes the room so lively.”

“Hmm,” He mused. “Then I’ll make you another one for your room. What would you like? The one from Snow White? Or I could make the dragon’s hoard from that really long story about a ring.”

She thought about it, examining the intricate detail on the towers and the parapets and the apiary. It reminded her of her own castle.

“Could you make my home castle? The one I live in?” Her face fell a little. “Well, _lived_ in,” she clarified.

He watched her face sadly. “Yes, I can. I’ve seen it from many angles, so I’m certain I can replicate it. Although, there may be one or two things on which I could use your input.”

“I’d love to help,” She said.

“Well,” He said a little uncertainly. “Follow me, then. I’ll show you my workroom.”

“Should I bring the books?” She asked, holding them up.

“Oh, yes,” He said. “Would you mind reading to me while I work? It’s awfully quiet in that end of the palace.”

“Sure,” She said, following him back out into the hallway, but just as they stared down the long corridor, a bell tolled somewhere.

“Looks like it’ll have to wait,” Viribus said, a little disappointed. “It’s time for dinner.”

* * *

 

The next day, he led her to a secluded corner of the hallway at the very back, away from most of the rooms. She was a little nervous, being this far out with him alone, but she was determined to make the best of the situation. She didn’t want to insult him more than she already had.

“I’m sorry it’s such a long walk,” He said, holding the books from the library under his arm. “I can make quite the ruckus sometimes when I’m building things. Father had my workroom put out here so that I wouldn’t disturb anyone.”

“Do you spend much time here?”

“Almost everyday,” He said. “Pallidus and Genus are usually in the library, when they aren’t entertaining your sister, that is, which is another reason it’s so far away. It’s hard for them to read over my banging and sawing.”

“Don’t you spend any time in the library?”

“Not really. There’s no point since I can’t read. The only time I’m in there is when I’m placing a new model or they need help moving shelves. Otherwise, I’m in here.”

“By yourself?”

“Mostly.”

“That sounds… lonely,” Fawn said.

He merely shrugged, and opened the door. As she entered, she let out a wondering gasp.

In the middle of the room, surrounded by walls of tools, equipment, materials, and paint, was a huge table that contained a display of a tiny but vast forest. There were hills and trees and minuscule woodland creatures. In the very center was a clearing by a lake, where stood a single fawn the size of her thumbnail. It almost looked as if this tiny creature was the centerpiece and everything else had been built around it. The way it was all painted and placed made it look real, as if at any second, the breeze would shift the branches and make the leaves dance. She almost expected the fawn’s ear to twitch.

“Viribus,” She breathed. “This… this is incredible. Did you really make all of this?”

“Yes,” He said, watching her face. He did that a lot. “This one has taken me months. It’s not quite finished yet, but it’s getting there.”

“You’re amazing!” She said, giving him the biggest smile he had seen yet. “You’re a real artist.”

He scratched the back of his head. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“I would, and I just did,” She said emphatically. “I couldn’t do this. And it’s such delicate work. Look how tiny these are!” She reached out to pick up the little deer, but stopped herself. “Oh, I’m sorry. May I?”

“Yes, of course, please,” He said, sitting on a stool near the table. He watched her pick up the small deer and examine it carefully, a soft smile lighting up her features. She walked up to him with it, stopping in front of him so that they were very close, and held it up to him.

“How did you paint something this small?”

He gulped at the proximity, but managed to say, “Uh… I can show you, if you’d like.”

She nodded vigorously, and he stood up, walking to the far end of the room, where there was another table covered in little carved figures, ready to be painted. He picked out another animal; from the shape, she guessed it was a mountain cat of some kind. He opened a tray that had many small reservoirs, all filled with paint. Using a spare section of the table, he used a paint trowel and mixed an orange and a gold paint together to make the perfect color for a cougar’s fur. He took up a small, finely bristled paintbrush, dipped it in the mixture, and drew short, deliberate strokes along the cat’s side, his hands completely steady.

Watching him work was mesmerizing, and Fawn couldn’t help but move closer and closer, until he could feel her breath on his neck. It made the short hairs on his body stand on end, but he forced his hands to remain stable and continued on.

It wasn’t until she knitted her hands together, placing them on his shoulder and rested her chin on top of them that he stopped altogether, turning to look at her with wide, almost terrified eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” She said as she pulled away, although she didn’t remove her hands from his shoulder. “Was I throwing you off? I can back up, if I’m bothering you.”

“No!” He said quickly. “No, you’re… you’re not bothering me at all.”

She smiled, resting her head back on her hands, waiting for him to continue. This close, he could smell the perfume of her hair, like clover and wildflowers. He took a deep breath and turned back to his work, but now his hands were shaking and he couldn’t get them to stop.

Before it could get awkward, though, a yipping sound caught her attention.

“What’s that?” She asked, following the sound.

“Oh, I…” He began, but stopped when she gasped.

She bent down under one of the tables, and when she stood up, she was holding a small brown dog, likely a forest mutt.

“Where did he come from?” She cooed, cuddling him to her cheek.

“The outside,” Viribus said. “I’m the only one that Father allows outside, so I can collect materials for my work. He doesn’t like me doing it, but it’s the only way I can get the things I need. I can only go out twice a month, at night, for thirty minutes. No more than that.” He reached to touch the dog’s ears. “I found him a few months ago, and I think another animal attacked him.”

The small dog became frantic to get to Viribus, so Fawn handed him over. Viribus cradled him like an infant.

“I named him Peach. Father doesn’t want us to bring live things from the outside down here, but I couldn’t leave him out there like that. He’d have died.” Viribus looked up anxiously. “You won’t tell Father about him, will you?”

“Of course not,” Fawn said consolingly, scratching the dog’s ears. It happily licked at her hands. “Oh, Peach. Viri’s just a big, soft teddy bear, isn’t he? Yes, he is.” Fawn giggled and looked up at Viribus with a wide grin, laying her free hand on his arm.

The contact made his spine shiver. Again, he seemed at a loss for words. He often felt that way around her.

“Why doesn’t your Father want you or your brother’s to go outside?” Fawn asked curiously.

“It’s not safe,” Viribus said, going to sit back at the table.

“Why not?”

“Well, several reasons. There are more humans now than there have ever been, and they are multiplying rapidly, encroaching on the old territories. There are far fewer of us than them, and since the old treaties between our kinds died out, many humans have forgotten the old codes and regard us with fear or hatred. Demons have often been attacked when they try mingle with humans. Elves have retreated far into their homes and have stopped venturing out for fear of the same.” Peach had one of Viribus’s large fingers in his mouth, snarling playfully, and Viribus smiled down at him. “Not to mention the sun.”

“What about the sun?”

“For a lot of demons, sunlight is harmful,” He replied.

“Will it kill you, like vampires?” She asked.

“No, not unless we spent hours and hours in the sun, but that’s bad even for humans. No, it’s more like an allergy. It makes out skin burn and welt. It’s not lethal, but it’s not pleasant, either.”

“Are elves the same way?”

“No. Actually, most elves enjoy the sunlight.”

“Well, you’re half elf, aren’t you? You might be immune to sunlight.”

He tilted her head at her, considering. “Now, there’s an idea.”

“Have you ever tried going out during the day?”

“Oh, no, never,” He replied, shaking his head. “Father would be most displeased. He worries for our safety, above all things.”

Fawn was reminded of her own father, and she sighed unhappily. She turned her attention back to Peach to distract herself.

“Well, now,” She said, pulling the dog from his grasp and setting him on her shoulder. “Why don’t we read for a bit while you’re papa does his work, hmm?” She smiled up at Viribus. “Would you like that?”

“Yes,” he said quietly. “I would like that very much.”

She took a stool from a different work station and sat it next to him at table, laying on of the books in front of her and opening the cover. Viribus had laid the cougar aside and picked up a flat, thin length of wood and a small carving knife, meticulously cutting out the shape of what would be the Suida capitol’s great castle, Fawn’s home.

“’Many years ago, so long that time itself has forgotten the name of the country, there lived a great king with no heirs…’”

* * *

 

When Fawn was with Viribus, days passed like seconds. She loved to watch him work in his workshop, and he adored the sound of her voice when she read. He was happiest when she shared her own stories with him, ones she had written herself. It was like a little piece of her only he was allowed to see. The first time she sat in his lap to read, he very nearly cried.

It took some convincing, but she finally got him to join her in the library for a reading. She invited Tyria and Viribus’s brothers, too, and though Viribus thought his brothers would laugh at such a thing, they always turned up and listened to her readings. Once or twice, his mother and father came to listen, as well. It became a weekly thing, and it made Viribus very, very happy.

As if to repay her, he went out of his way to accommodate her. Anything she wanted, he would get her, no questions asked. He would do almost anything to please her; if she were to request that he burn down his entire workshop, he would do it with a smile on his face as long as it made her happy. Not that she ever would. It was her favorite place to read.

Most of the time, she read out loud to him, but there were times when he needed to concentrate hard on his work, so she would stay and read in silence. He just really enjoyed having her nearby, even if they weren’t interacting.

She’d often throw on an apron and help him keep the place tidy, even though he told her each time that she didn’t have to do it. All it took was a kiss on the cheek and a smile, and he let her do whatever she wanted.

When he went out on his bi-monthly hikes to the outside, she waited at the portal, anxious for him to come back. Once, he’d come home with an arrow in his shoulder, and she was beside herself with worry. He said there had been hunters near the portal when he came out, and he had tried to lead them away, but was shot in the process. He made her swear never to tell his Father, lest he revoke his ability to go out. She promised, helping him remove the arrow and dress the wound, burning the bloody tunic afterward.

Seeing him with his shirt off did strange things to her body. She always knew he was muscular, but feeling the solid muscle shift under his skin with her own hands was something new entirely. It made the blood rush to her cheeks and pooled warmth at her midsection. There was a powerful ache rising up in her that made her heart beat hard in her chest and her thighs clamp shut. It made her imagine things she had never thought of before, like what his hands, or his lips, would feel like on her bare skin. It took a strong force of will to stop her fingers from lingering on the flesh of his back, tracing his spine downward, and seeing where it led.

She was quite old enough to understand what these feelings were, even if she had never felt them before. It was still a startling revelation. She desired Viribus. She wanted him in a painful, aching, physical way.

But desire and love were two different things entirely. Did she love him? She certainly knew she cared about him a great deal, but was that love? How would she know? How did he feel about her?

She wouldn’t have to wait long for the answer to that last question. A few days after the arrow incident, she went to his workroom to meet him, carrying bandages concealed in a bag so that she could change the dressings on the wound, when she heard his deep, bass voice through the door.

He appeared to be playing with Peach, wrestling and roughhousing. As much as Viribus thought of himself as a clumsy, hulking monster, he had never once hurt Peach, even accidentally. Or her, for that matter.

She suddenly heard a scratching at the door. Peach must be able to smell her. Just as she put her hand on the knob to open the door, she heard Viribus say: “Waiting for Fawn, eh? She’s coming soon, buddy, don’t you worry. You love her, don’t you, boy? Do you love Fawn, Peach? Huh? Do you love her?”

He must have picked the dog up, because the scratching stopped. She heard Viribus sigh softly on the other side.

 “Yeah. Me too.”

For a moment, the only thing she could hear was Peach’s excited panting and yips. Then she heard Viribus say, in a more cheerful voice, “Let’s get this place cleaned up, eh, Peach? Make sure she doesn’t work her pretty little hands to the bone this time.”

Fawn laid a hand on the smooth wood of the door, listening to him knock around inside the work room, putting things away and talking to Peach animatedly.

Something had taken hold of her heart, something as strong as iron and as soft as rose petals. She had never felt it before, but knew what it was in an instant.

Of course. Of course she loved him. He was her Beast, how could she not? She pressed her forehead against the cool door, bathing in the new emotion, letting it swallow her up. Knowing that he loved her made the desire for him stronger and more urgent, like a fire fueled with spirits. Her breathing was a little uneven and her body tensed in ways it never had. It took several minutes before she was able to settle herself down and enter the room.

As she came in, he smiled at her affectionately, and the fire was kindled anew. Watching him strip off his shirt and submit to her ministrations with trust in his eyes did absolutely nothing to quench it.

* * *

 

She had been in the underground kingdom for three months, and in all that time, he had never once brought up the engagement. He gave her as much space as she needed and didn’t press her or ask her about the betrothal, perhaps afraid of what her answer might be.

One afternoon, while taking tea with her on the balcony of her apartments, she surprised him.

“I wrote a new story. Would you like to hear it?”

“Always,” He said with a wide smile, sitting down on the balcony bench with her.

“I haven’t figured out a name for it yet,” She said, opening her journal. “It just sort of spilled out of me yesterday evening, so forgive it if it’s a little rough.”

“I’m sure it’s wonderful, just like all your tales.”

She smiled up at him. “Very well then,” She replied, clearing her throat.

“’Once upon a time, there was a young woman who lived with her family in the sunlight. She was of royal birth, but she was a wild thing, hard to dislike but even harder to tame.”

“Reminds me of someone, but I can’t think of who,” Viribus said playfully, and Fawn shushed him in a good natured sort of way.

“'One day, while playing with her animal friends, she stepped through a hole and fell into a dark, impossible place far underground. There, she met a strange man, who insisted they were to be wed. Shocked, the poor girl collapsed.'”

Viribus’s smile faded. He knew this story.

“'When she awoke, she saw him waiting there. He was huge and monstrous and hulking. But when she reached out to him, he shrunk from her, as though afraid. He was timid and unsure of himself, a stark contrast to his fearsome exterior.’”

Viribus shifted in his seat anxiously. She seemed to notice, but continued.

“’It took time, but the two tried to understand one another. They found they shared the same love: a love of tales. _This is just like Beauty and the Beast_ , she thought. So she made him a deal. She would read him a story each night, and he would put off the wedding for another day. He agreed. So, as time passed, the wedding was suspended and many stories were told.’

“’One evening, he came to her chamber and sat down to receive his story, when she realized that his eyes, which she once found terrifying, looked at her with splendor, as if she were the only thing in the world worthy of being looked upon. The next night, she realized that the body she once believed to be huge and intimidating, was in fact strong and protective, and would gladly take sword and arrow if it meant keeping her from harm. The next night, she looked at his hands, and instead of the violent bludgeons she had suspected they could be, she saw them for the careful, creative things they were, able to calm wounded creatures and make beautiful, delicate things to be marveled at and wondered over.’

’And she realized then, he was beautiful. Beauty and the Beast was indeed a fairy tale, because in this young maiden’s story, her beastly prince was beautiful just as he was, and she would never want him to change. All at once, she knew then that she loved him.” Her voice softened to a near whisper. “She loved every strange, wondrous thing about him.’”

Viribus’s heart stopped, and then beat way too fast. She couldn’t mean…

“’How would she tell him, then? How could she put it into words and make him understand that what she said was the truth? He doubted himself and saw himself as a monster, so how to make him see, that to her, he was a good man, the only man worthy of her love? In what way could she tell him that being held by him was like being wrapped in her favorite blanket, safe from any danger? How could she show him that the sight of him filled her with desire, a thirst for him she couldn’t slake. How could she say and make him believe that he was the only man she would ever want? How?’

“’And then she knew. It was simple. The answer had been there all along,’” Fawn said, looking up at Viribus and slowly closing the book in her lap. “’She would just tell him a story.’”

He reached out with his hand and touched her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, putting her own hand over his sighing in contentment. He bent to rest his forehead on hers.

“That was beautiful,” He said quietly.

“It’s a true story, you know,” She whispered. “And it’s not over yet.”

“No?” He said, looking into her eyes. “Then how does it end?”

She tilted her chin up and gently pressed her lips to his. “She keeps telling him stories, not to hold off his advances, but merely to make him happy. In fact, there’s only one night when no story is told.” Her cheeks flush. “Their wedding night.”

His heart danced in his chest and his eyes widen in shock. “You’ll marry me?”

She nodded, her sweet smile full of affection. “Yes, I will.”

He breathed a sigh of relief and shut his eyes, tears falling freely down his cheeks. He rested his head on her shoulder, weeping unashamed, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, humming a soft lullaby into his ear.

“The story is only going to get better,” She said as she pulled him back a little, wiping his tears away with her fingers. “I promise.”

“I believe you,” He said gently, and he bent to kiss her again.

A kiss that was interrupted by a familiar voice screaming obscenities from the hallway outside of Fawn’s balcony.

“Oh,” Fawn said pleasantly. “Looks like Gale has made it at last.”


	4. Genus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third brother, Genus, finally meets his betrothed, Gale. Gale rejects the planned wedding outright and is determined to escape, even if she has to ask her so-called future husband for help.

All Gale remembered was getting up from the garden table to look for her sisters, who were taking their sweet time returning to her birthday luncheon, when she stumbled out into the open meadow beyond the castle’s rose garden and fell after stubbing her toe against something solid.

Looking back, she saw that she had tripped over a glittering rose, pink and transparent, that appeared to have been sculpted from crystal. She had never seen anything like it before. It was the kind of thing that would be the jewel of any dragon’s treasure hoard or in a display case of a grand art collection. It looked incredibly out of place, standing straight up out of the ground surrounded by waving grass.

Thinking to show it to her father, who had been acting rather odd lately, she took hold of the seaglass-green stem and attempted to pull it up. It was anchored pretty solidly, so she yanked and ended up snapping the stem from whatever held it beneath the earth with a soft _tink!_  

Then, it was like a small explosion went off all around her. The grass and flowers of the meadow kicked up and swirled around her so fast, it was if she were in a hurricane. She closed her eyes and shielded her face, certain she would open them again to find her gown shredded and cuts all over her skin, but when the deafening noise finally died away, she saw no such thing. She was completely unruffled.

“It’s you!” A voice called suddenly from across the long, dark hallway in which she found herself. A young… man… scurried up to her, dropping a tall stack of enormous books in his haste. He took her hand in both of his, exclaiming, “I can’t believe your finally here! I was giving up hope you’d ever come! I’m so happy to see you!”

“Unhand me! Who are you? _What_ are you?” Gale shouted, her heart pounding, as she wrenched her hand from the grip of the shortish, grey skinned man. If he could be called a man.

He wore spectacles, seemingly an academic type judging by the ink smudges on his hands and the smell of old books that permeated from his skin and clothing. He had on a simple, plain white shirt and natural linen trousers, with his curly black hair hanging down his back in a messy braid. He was mostly clean and pressed, but had the slightly mussed-up, unkempt look of a person not overly concerned with their appearance.

He was rather stout but not muscular, and Gale suspected this was a fellow who spent most of his time sitting down. He was, in fact, rather squishy looking. Although, judging from the enormous stack of books he had been carrying, he possessed considerable strength.

Despite somehow looking like a history professor, his body was quite animalistic in nature. In place of feet, he had cloven hooves like a goat or a deer, and his legs were double jointed and covered in soft black fur from the reverse knee joint down. He had short antlers on his head and a thin tail swinging behind him. His head was just level with Gale’s, perhaps a hair shorter, but his antlers made him appear taller.

His ears were small but pointed and twitched slightly when he smiled. He could also apparently move them backwards and forwards, sticking them out or flattening them against his head like a small creature listening for predators. The whites and irises of his eyes were solid red with small black pupils as their only distinguishing characteristic. It was an odd juxtaposition of features.

He had rushed up to Gale before she had even had the chance to open her eyes, taking her hand and shaking it vigorously, going on about how please he was to finally see her in person as though they were lifelong penpals or some such. His enthusiasm was daunting, and the strangeness of his appearance did nothing to reassure her.

“My name is Genus, my Lady,” He said, bowing. “I’m so happy you’ve come! It’s truly an honor to meet you!” He was practically jumping up and down in excitement. She backed away from him in alarm.

“Gale!”

Gale turned and saw her sister Fawn dashing up, followed by an absolute giant of a man. The giant had similar features as this short, chubby man, except the taller of the two had solid black eyes, a darker skin tone, no tail, and ram’s horns rather than antlers. He trailed after Fawn, who was maybe three-fifths his height, like a lovesick puppy.

Fawn flung herself onto Gale, crying. “I’m so happy you’re here! We missed you so much!”

“What? _We?_ What are you talking about?” Gale asked a little hysterically. “Where is here?”

Instead of answering, Fawn took the giant by the hand and pulled. He knelt down so that she could whisper in his ear. After listening for a moment, he nodded in agreement and she smiled at him, laying a hand on his right cheek and kissing the left. Reluctantly, he slipped out of her grasp, then stood and trotted off.

“He’s going to get Tyria,” Fawn said. She glanced at Genus, who was shifting from foot to foot, with no small amount of sympathy. “We need to talk.”

After a moment or two, Tyria walked up on the arm of another impossible man, this one hauntingly thin and gaunt, with horns spiraling high out of the top of his head decorated with delicate silver chains. He was dressed very rich in green silk and emeralds at his neck and ears. His hair was long and black, and he walked with a graceful swagger. A bit haughty for Gale’s taste, but Tyria seemed quite taken with him. She fussed and picked at his tunic, and he smiled at her fondly.

The giant returned as well, reaching out for Fawn. Gale’s middle sister stepped into the safety of his embrace without hesitation, placing her hands on his chest, her eyes dewy as they looked up at him. He gazed down at her as if she were the only thing that deserved his attention.

Gale looked at both of her sisters as if they, too, had grown horns. “What is going on here? I feel like there’s a joke that everyone is in on except for me.”

“Not much of a joke, I’m afraid,” The tall, gaunt one said. His voice was quite musical. “Although I’m sure my father finds this all rather amusing. He always did have an odd sense of humor.”

“And your father is?”

“Zinzo, the Demon King.”

Gale’s head rocked back. “Uh… what exactly does the Demon King want with my sisters and me?”

Tyria and Fawn shared a look between them that made Gale very nervous.

“Now, you mustn’t get upset, Gale,” Tyria began.

“I’m already upset, Ty, just tell me what’s going on!”

Tyria took a deep breath and, with Fawn’s help, carefully explain the situation with the betrothal, trying their best to convey that the brothers were not in control of the situation and that Gale shouldn’t hold it against them.

“Are. You. _Serious?_ ” Gale said through gritted teeth as they concluded the explanation.

“I’m afraid so,” Fawn replied. “Father made the deal before he even knew he’d be having daughters, before he even married Mother. He thought, at the time, that he would never have to make good on his promise.”

“So… what? We’re literally just collateral for Suida? That’s the only reason we exist at all? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“I know it’s hard to accept, Gale,” Tyria said. “It’s not ideal in any sense. Trust me, I was plenty angry at Father when I first arrived. But it’s really not so bad here once you get used to it.”

Gale massaged her temples, trying to wrap her head around the day’s events. Genus fidgeted and watched her apprehensively, with his brothers standing at his shoulders in support. Her sisters stood on either side, creating a wall of insanity she couldn’t penetrate.

“Well,” Gale said. “It was nice to meet you all. I’m leaving.”

Her sisters and the brothers exchanged uneasy looks.

“I’m afraid you can’t leave,” Genus said woefully.

“The hell I can’t,” Gale retorted. “I don’t really care what promises my father made, I don’t recall signing any contracts. I am an adult and I want to leave.”

“No, Gale, you don’t understand,” Tyria said. “None of us can leave, not even Zinzo’s sons. There’s a protective barrier around the kingdom that prevents anyone from entering and exiting without Zinzo’s permission.”

“Then take me to the Demon King and I’ll make him release us.”

Again, Fawn and Tyria exchanged glances.

“ _What?_ ” Gale fairly snarled.

“Well…” Fawn said in a small voice. “I’m not sure what Tyria wants to do, but… I don’t want to leave.”

“Why?” Gale asked venomously.

“Well…” She said again, reaching back to take the giant’s hand in hers. “Just before you arrived, I agreed to marry Viribus.”

There was a joyous exclamation between the five of them, congratulating Fawn and her massive groom-to-be as they grinned sheepishly. Gale watched them in horror.

“You can’t be serious!” Gale said. “You’re really going to marry that monster?”

 Viribus flinched, and Fawn’s eyes widened in offense.

“Gale!” Tyria said reproachfully. “This is a special day for Fawn and Viri. Don’t you dare spoil it for them.”

“Oh, my gods, am I the only sane one here?!” Gale shouted. “How can you both be all right with this? It’s ludicrous! We are not commodities to be bartered! We are people! Royalty! We have rights!”

“As royalty,” Tyria said, her voice shaking a little as she went to lay her hands on Fawn and Viribus’ arms. Fawn was visibly upset and Viribus was holding her with his head hanging. “We are servants of our people. Their safety and prosperity is our primary concern. Father made this deal with his people in mind, knowing he might have to make a terrible sacrifice. His methods may have been deplorable, but above all, he did it for his people, his country. We can aspire to do no greater than that.”

A faint half smile drifted across Pallidus’s face.

Gale shook her head. “You have either lost your mind or been brainwashed. Either way, I’m not sticking around long enough for either of those things to happen to me.” She addressed the tall man standing with Tyria. “Take me to your father. This nonsense ends now.”

She left Genus and Viribus, looking stricken, and a weeping Fawn behind her, not sparing a backwards glance.

* * *

 

Zinzo sat at his desk in the grand sitting room, reading a message from an outer province. He smiled as Tyria, Pallidus, and Gale entered the room.

“Well, well,” He said, standing. “It’s about time. I assume Fawn and Viribus have good news, if she has come at last.”

“We shall let them make the announcements at the appropriate time,” Pallidus said.

“Wise,” Zinzo replied. He turned his attention to Gale. “Now, I assume you have questions.”

“No, I don’t,” Gale replied a little hostilely. “I understand the situation well enough.”

“Ah. Well, that’s good. Tyria here need quite a lot of explanation and assurance. So, you--”

“I’m not here to make nice. I’m here to demand our release.”

Zinzo’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”

“You’re holding us against our will. We’re hostages. There are laws against that sort of thing.”

“Perhaps in your kingdom. The rules are different here.”

“I don’t care what the rules are here. I’m telling you I’m not going to play your game with you. Let us leave.”

“Gale!” Tyria hissed warningly.

“No, Princess,” Zinzo said lazily. “This should be interesting.”

Gale crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the king, who looked at her with a smug grin on his face.

“Tyria told me that when you made the deal with my father, the only son you had was Pallidus, and he was but a babe in swaddling.”

“That’s so,” Zinzo said.

“So how did you know you’d have two more sons? How did you know you’d need three brides?”

Zinzo quirked his head at her. “How do you think I knew?”

Gale looked him up and down with a scowl. “I think you’re a seer, or otherwise capable of divination.”

“Very astute,” Zinzo replied, to Tyria’s shock. Pallidus looked guilty but unsurprised.

“So you tricked my father into agreeing to your deal,” Gale said.

“No,” Zinzo replied calmly. “I merely used my foresight to my advantage. It’s a common tactical strategy. Both your father and I had a problem on our hands, so we made an exchange that was mutually beneficial. He just didn’t realize I knew more than he did about the matter. That doesn’t make it a trick. If anything, it could be argued he was attempting to take advantage of me, he just couldn’t see the entire picture.”

“Even if that’s true, I still doesn’t mean I’ll agree to it, and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind.”

“Perhaps so,” Zinzo said. “But you should try anyway.”

Gale frowned and huffed. “Use your foresight. Does this ploy work out for you?”

Zinzo grinned wickedly. “Spoilers.”

Genus was waiting for them anxiously when they came out of Zinzo’s sitting room. Fawn and Viribus were absent.

“I’ll take you to your room,” He said.

“No,” Gale said coldly. “Tyria will.”

He lowered his eyes. “Very well.”

Tyria glared at Gale and put a comforting hand on Genus’s shoulder as she passed. “I’ll come to the library later,” She said to Pallidus, who nodded, putting an arm around Genus and leading him away. As if he was the one who needed assurance.

Gale stomped down the hallway with her arms folded forbiddingly over her chest. Tyria sighed in annoyance.

“You’re being quite unreasonable,” Tyria said.

“ _I’m_ being unreasonable?” Gale retorted. “Have you actually gone insane? How can you expect me to just be all right with this?”

“I don’t, Gale,” Tyria said irritatedly. “But I do expect you to be polite. Genus has seen your your every possible need. He’s a good man, if a little quiet. He loves books just as much as we do. You should let him show you the library. It’s breathtaking.”

“I would rather gouge out my own eyes,” Gale grumbled.

Tyria rolled her eyes. “Well, the least you can do is apologize to Fawn and Viribus. They’re both very upset. You ruined their announcement.”

“Sure, I’ll get right on that,” Gale replied sarcastically.

Tyria grabbed Gale by the shoulders and stopped her roughly. “That’s enough. I understand you’re angry, but that’s no reason to take it out on people who have no control over your circumstances and are trying to make the best of this situation.”

Gale shook her off. “You’re not Mother. Stop telling me what I should do and how I should feel.”

Tyria shook her head in disappointment and agitation. “This is your room,” She said, motioning to a door with constellations carved into it. “It’s next to Fawn’s, and mine is the next door down. Maybe you should spend some time alone and think about things.”

“It’s not going to change my mind,” Gale said stubbornly. “I’m going to get out of here. It’s only a matter of time. And if I have to leave without you, I will.”

Tyria’s jaw worked in frustration. She opened her mouth to vent at Gale, thought the better of it, and said instead: “Dinner is in an hour. You will be there.”

She turned on her heel and walked away.

During dinner, Gale refused to sit with Genus, instead sitting in the seat next to Tyria ordinarily reserved for Pallidus. Tyria huffed in aggravation, but assured Pallidus it would only be for the evening.

“We’ll see about that,” Gale said obstinately. Tyria growled and didn’t speak to Gale for the remainder of the meal.

After the main course had been served, Viribus and Fawn stood, announcing their engagement to the delight of everyone in the room. The best wine in the castle was cracked open and a celebration was conducted. Gale sat in silence, refusing to participate. The table collectively ignored her.

That evening, she went to her room without speaking to anyone and plopped down on her new bed, groaning in frustration. What was wrong with the people here? What was wrong with her sisters? Was it something in the water?

She stared at the ceiling, her gaze unfocused on the mural of the night sky meticulously painted above her. Her thoughts chased themselves round and round, consuming her to the point where it took her several seconds to see the hidden wonder of the mural. Furrowing her brow, she peered at the ceiling through narrowed eyes.

“How did they pull this off?” She breathed in astonishment. After examining the mural closely for what felt like hours, she fell into an uneasy sleep, determined to asked about it in the morning.

* * *

 

She woke late the next morning, nearly missing breakfast. She refrained from speaking during the meal, resolving to seek out the person who made the mural and ask them directly.

After eating, her sisters and the princes disappeared, leaving her to wander on her own. Eventually, she made her way to the library. She had no idea where it was, but she always seemed to feel a pull toward any large collection of books in any place. She just naturally gravitated to spaces of learning and wisdom.

Once there, she reached out and grasped the handle, but before she could turn it, she heard her sisters talking with Genus and the other men behind the closed door. She leaned against the door and listened to the voices within.

“She hates me!” Genus cried, his voice muffled as though his head were in his hands.

“That’s not true, Gene,” Tyria said. “She doesn’t know you yet. She scared and confused and angry. I know how she feels. It’s exactly how I felt when I first got here. You were the one to finally change my mind and got me to talk to Pallidus. Remember that?”

Genus didn’t answer.

“Don’t worry, brother,” Fawn said. “Just give her time. She’s a willful girl, she always has been. You know that.”

Genus sighed. “Yes, I know. It’s one of the things I like about her. She’s never been afraid to speak her mind. I’ve always envied that.”

Fawn scoffed. “It’s not so much that she isn’t afraid as it is she doesn’t know when to keep her trap shut.”

She was clearly still angry at Gale. Gale felt a twinge of guilt, but not enough to convince her to apologize. She stood by what she said. For Fawn to marry that hulking giant was just absurd, as absurd as it was for Tyria to marry that prissy dandy, or for her to marry that short, excitable bookworm.

Gale heard the rumble of the large man muttering, possibly comforting Fawn, but she couldn’t make out his words. There was a lull in the conversation, during which Gale knocked on the door. It opened, revealing Genus’s pale, surprised face.

“Oh!” He exclaimed. “I… I didn’t expect to see you. Please come in. You don’t need to knock, you know. It’s a public library. Anyone in the palace is permitted to use it.”

“Then you should keep the door open,” Gale said.

Genus blushed and flung the door wide. “Would you like to come in?”

“No, I had a question.” Gale could see his brothers and her sisters looking at the pair of them with matching hopeful expressions. She scowled at them.

“The mural of a star map that’s painted above my bed. The constellations, they’re correct down to the spacing. How did you do that? Who painted it?”

“Oh, Viribus did,” Genus said, motioning back at the giant, who smiled tentatively. “He’s a very talented artist, even though he’d never admit it. I mapped it out for him, though.”

“How did you manage that if you’ve never seen the night sky for yourself?” Gale asked.

“I have star charts.” He pointed at the desk. “They’re a few centuries old, but they worked well enough.”

“A star chart from three hundred years ago would be different than the current sky map,” Gale said skeptically.

“Yes, that’s true,” He said. “I used grafts and calculations to determine how much they would have shifted and based the resulting positions on my equations. I’m pleased to learn my math was correct.”

“That’s… impressive.” Gale had to admit, it was. “And labor intensive. It must have taken weeks to plot it out correctly. Not to mention the patience involved in mapping it out above your head. Why did you go to so much trouble?”

“For you,” Genus said simply. “I wanted to do something nice for you. I know you love astronomy and have your own observatory at home. I regret that I cannot give you an observatory, so I did the closest thing I could think of. Did you like it?”

It was Gale’s turn to blush. “I… yes, it’s very lovely. And factual, which is the important thing.”

Genus laughed, a gentle, boyish sound. “I thought you’d approve. Viribus wanted to take artistic license with it, make it a bit grander, but I figured you would appreciate the accuracy.”

“You were right,” Gale said begrudgingly. “Are you interested in astronomy, as well?”

“Oh, extremely. I’ve always wanted to see the sky. It’s my dearest wish.”

“So why don’t you just go out?” Gale asked bluntly.

“I can’t leave,” Genus said, shaking his head. “Father would never permit it.”

“Why not?”

“It’s dangerous for us on the surface world. He worries for our safety.”

“But if you--”

“Gale,” Tyria said sharply. “Let it go.”

Gale scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Fine. I just wanted to ask about the mural.” She turned on her heel and stormed off.

“Wait!” She heard Genus called. She didn’t stop walking but she did slow down enough to allow him to catch up with her, his hooves clacking noisily against the dark marble floor.

“I nearly forgot,” Genus said, reaching into his satchel and retrieving a wrapped gift. “Happy birthday.”

Gale, surprised, took it hesitantly, carefully tugging the item inside from it’s paper wrapping. It was a book on elvish astronomy.

“Elves have different constellations that humans, did you know? This book has a list of them as well as how to identify them and the elvish names for the stars in each one.”

“Wow,” Gale said. “I always assumed the constellations were universal.”

Genus laughed. “Yes. Humans tend to do that.”

Gale looked up at Genus’s smiling face and was struck by how… genuine he seemed, despite his odd appearance. Like it had never once occurred to him to tell a lie in all his life. He had a childlike openness about his demeanor that, she hated to admit, was intriguing. His default state of being was curiosity.

“Thanks,” Gale said. “For the book. It’s nice.”

Genus grinned and bowed. “Well, I’ll leave you be for now. I know this is hard for you; I don’t want to make you feel any more trapped than you already do.” He turned to go back to the library, calling over his shoulder, “But please, should you need anything, don’t hesitate to send for me. I’d be happy to assist you.”

“Thank you,” She replied. He waved a hand and disappeared back into the library.

“She liked the book! She actually talked to me!” He told the others excitedly. The purity of the happiness in his voice made her blush return. All right. So maybe her sisters weren’t as crazy as she first thought.

It didn’t matter. Having nice jailers didn’t make this place any less of a prison. She was still determined to escape.

* * *

 

You spent every waking moment over the next couple of weeks in the library, pouring over books about the Demon Kingdom of Cavernae. As it’s name would suggest, the vast majority of it existed in caverns and caves deep beneath the earth and that only a tiny portion of it was present on the surface. Gale had often wondered why, in the entire history of the Cavernae Empire, the reigning monarch had never tried to conquer another kingdom, but reading the history of the Demons, Gale realized it was because they didn’t need to.

Cavernae was _everywhere_. It spanned the whole continent, underneath the feet of all the kingdoms and countries. It was a few hundred feet at it’s shallowest, and over seven miles down at it’s deepest. It never ended. Gale didn’t know how to feel about the fact that there was a kingdom full of people underneath her own all this time that she never knew about.

Genus was often in the library with her. At first, he merely smiled when he saw Gale and left her alone, unless she asked him to help her, which he was happy to do. He found her books on any subject she could think of, seemingly pleased that she had taken interest his home. He proved to be a treasure trove of useful information about it and more often then not, she turned to him with her questions rather than a book.

She had been careful, asking pointedly vague questions in hopes of gleaning the information she needed to make her escape without arousing suspicion. He didn’t seem to notice, prattling on willingly about the barrier, where the portals were, where they currently were in relation to your castle in Suida. Gale were surprised to learn that the palace was actually straddling the line between Suida and Gale’s grandfather’s empire.

Finally, he gave Gale the information she was after. There was a portal in the palace. He told her that Viribus used it to bring materials from the outside world, and that it only opened at certain times, during the full moon and the new moon. Those were the only days Viribus was permitted to go out, and even then, he was to be no longer than thirty minutes. It was unguarded because it didn’t need to be; everyone in Cavernae knew the risks when it came to the outside world, and none of them were willing to risk their safety or the Demon King’s ire.

But Gale wasn’t a demon, and she wasn’t answerable to Zinzo.

She waited for the perfect moment. She couldn’t go when Viribus did; he’d catch her and bring her back. She learned he sometimes did errand running for the palace because of his immense size. Fawn would often accompany him to the markets outside of the palace. She was apparently beloved by the people there, and they delighted in seeing her out, so their visits were often, sometimes bringing Tyria and Pallidus with them. The only time Viribus missing his outing to the surface world was on days when he had been to the markets with Fawn.

Gale began to subtly plant the idea of going to the surface with Genus in his mind so that he could see the stars. She tried her best to insist that it would he for his benefit, not hers. At first, he was complete opposed to the idea, not wanting to anger his father, but also concerned about what could happen to him up there.

After a few months of incessant hounding, he began to soften. When he finally agreed, you did your best to hide your triumphant smile.

The next full moon, Viribus and Fawn had been out at the markets all day and were exhausted, going to bed right after dinner. _This it it_ , Gale thought. _This is my chance._

That night, she had talked Genus into meeting her in the library and he would lead her to the portal room. She decided not to take anything with her for fear that Genus would become suspicious, but her eyes fell on the book Genus had given her for her birthday and found she couldn’t leave it. She tucked it into her dress, trying her best to conceal it, and ran to the library.

“I don’t feel good about this,” Genus whispered, trying his best to move quietly, though his hooves made that impossible. It was very early in the morning, though, so most everyone in the palace was sleeping.

“Don’t worry,” Gale said reassuringly. “We’ll just pop our heads out and come right back.”

“But we don’t know where the portal will empty out,” he said a little desperately. “What if we stumble into some poor fellow’s garden? We’ll give him a fright.”

“It’s the middle of the night, Gene, any sensible person would be sleeping,” Gale replied.

“The implication being that we aren’t sensible?”

She grinned at him cheekily as they hurried down the corridor. She stopped in front of the large door. There was a strange looking lock on it.

“You won’t be able to open it,” He said, putting one of his fingers over his razor sharp canines and biting down. Blood immediately welled from it. “This lock only responds to the blood of the royal family.”

He dripped a drop or two of blood into a tiny reservoir at the lock’s base, and the filaments that extended out of it to hold the door shut retracted. He pulled the handle, and the door swing open.

There up on a dais, was a glittering doorway formed of branches and vines, similar in color to the rose bushes in the underground garden. In the middle was a bright, swirling light, and beyond was a forest.

“Come on!” You urged him, grabbing his hand. He groaned in reluctance, but allowed himself to be pulled forward. Standing before the portal, he hesitated, and Gale found herself unable to shift him.

“What’s wrong?”

He stared into the portal at the forest outside. “I’ve never been surface side before. I’m… nervous. We really shouldn’t be doing this.”

“When are you going to get another chance, Genus? Come on, we’ll just go in and out. Ten minutes, I promise.”

He grimaced at her and swallowed.

Gale took his hand again. “ _Come on_ , Gene. You know you want to see the stars.”

He sighed heavily and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, knocking his spectacles askance. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Her grin widened and she started forward into the barrier. This time, he stepped forward with her. When he opened his eyes again, they had passed through and were standing in the forest they had seen reflected in the portal.

He opened his eyes and stared around them at the tall trees. “I’ve never seen real trees before! They’re everywhere!”

“It gets better,” Gale promised. “Ready to see the sky?”

For the first time that day, he forgot his misgivings and grinned at her in excitement.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

Gale took his hand and led him to where she saw the trees begin to thin out, and with a few seconds, they were standing in an open meadow, flowers everywhere in the ankle-high grass. He stared down at them all with a joyful expression.

“There are so many!” He said happily.

“Genus,” Gale said, laughing. “Look up.”

He did, and the smile faded into wide-eyed, open-mouthed wonder.

They couldn’t have picked a better night for this. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the stars shone as bright and clear as if they were fireflies in a jar, winking and glittering above them. The dark blues and purples swirled overhead, painting a picture more beautiful than any mortal hand could produce. 

“Gods below,” He breathed. “The books do them no justice.” He reached up, hand spread, as if to touch them. “What miracles. What treasures.”

Gale watched him, a soft smile on her face. His open awe was more than a little endearing in a painfully naive way. It almost hurt to look directly at him, so she turned away to stare down at the horizon and froze in shock.

There, just beyond the meadow, was a castle. She recognized the spires, the towers, the observatory on the roof. The rose garden. Tyria’s rose garden.

This was Gale’s castle. She was _home._

Her heart began to beat as if trying to propel itself out her her chest. She turned to look at Genus, who was still captivated by the night sky and not paying attention. She could run now. She doubted he’d be able to catch her, not on this terrain.

Just as she had turned slowly and lifted her foot to sprint, she heard Genus say, “They’re disappearing.”

She turned back to look, and he had a frown on his face.

“What’s happening?” He asked in confusion, looking around you. His gaze focused on the crest of a nearby hill and he stopped, his eyes widening with apprehension. “Oh.”

You followed his gaze and saw that the sky on the horizon was turning blue and brightening. Dawn was coming.

He began to back away toward the safety of the woods. “I shouldn’t stay out. The sun is dangerous.”

“Maybe not,” You said, grabbing his arm to keep him from retreating. “You’re half elf, aren’t you? Fawn said it might be possible that you didn’t inherit the sun allergy, like other demons have. You could be perfectly safe out here.”

“But…” He said, still trying to pull away, though Gale held him fast. “But I… Father said…”

“Don’t you want to see the sunrise?” Gale insisted.

“Of course I do,” Genus whined. “But…”

“Stay,” Gale said. “Stay and see. Isn’t a couple of little blisters worth a once in a lifetime experience?”

He grimaced, his eyes darting to the horizon, where the sky was progressively getting brighter, and back to Gale's face several times. “Gale… I don’t know about this…”

“Look,” Gale said, taking his hands in hers and pulling him close. “I won’t force you to stay if you’re determined to go back, but you know as well as I that this may be the only chance you have of seeing this. Do you really want to pass it up?”

His brow furrowed and he looked back and forth between the sky and her eyes.

“You’ll stay with me?” He asked.

“Yes, I will.” She said, surprising herself by realizing she was actually being sincere.

“You promise?”

“Of course. Do you trust me?”

He narrowed his eyes at her but responded with a slow, “Yes.”

She squeezed his hands reassuringly. “Then trust me.”

He puffed an explosive breath out through his pursed lips and nodded. Looking once more at the crest of the hill, where a golden light was beginning to form, he faced her and closed his eyes, waiting.

In a few moments, the sun began to break over the hill, sending light and shadows across the sleepy meadow and over the two of them. Gale paid close attention to Genus’s skin, looking for any sign of puckering or burning. When the sun was a quarter of the way up, she realized he was indeed immune.

Smiling, she squeezed his hands again.

“Genus, open your eyes. It’s safe.”

He did, looking in the direction of the sunlight, and inhaled a long gasp. The sun had painted the sky in blues and golds and reds. The rays filtered over the trees, casting long, lazy patterns over the fields. A gentle breeze blew through the grass and flowers, making the shadows and light dance together, like birds on water. It was breathtaking, even for Gale, who had seen her fair share of lovely mornings.

“The colors,” He said reverently, staring out over the field and crouching, as if the force of the beauty he was witnessing was preventing him from standing upright.

Looking at him, staring at the sunlight with the eyes of someone brand new to the world, she felt a stab of guilt. This was such a simple pleasure, one any person who lived on the surface would be privileged to from birth, but for Genus and his brothers, a joy that was out of reach. There was nothing fair about that. No more than being abducted and forced into an arranged marriage had been.

That’s when she realized, she couldn’t leave. Genus was just as trapped as she was. She had to help him and her brothers. There must be a way to free them as well as her sisters. She would find a way.

Gale looked distantly at her home, feeling as if her heart was being pulled in two directions, and sighed deeply. “We should go. Our absence will be noticed,” She said reluctantly.

“What?” Genus said, standing back up and looking at you with a frown on his face. “But… aren’t you going home?” He motioned at the castle looming darkly in the light of the rising sun.

Gale’s heart leapt into her throat. “I… wha… What do you mean?” Gale stuttered.

Genus let out his breath in a mirthless huff. “Gods, you must really think I’m stupid, don’t you?”

She shook her head, unable to speak.

“You think I don’t know who’s castle that is? I’ve looked at it every day my whole life. I know it backwards and forwards. You think I didn’t notice it when we came out of the forest? I’m surprised you didn’t just take off running as soon as we got here.”

“Genus, I…”

“Did you think I didn’t realize what you were trying to do, asking all those questions about the portal? I knew you were trying to escape. You said you would on day one and I never believed you had just given it up. I knew you’d find a way.” He nodded his head toward the castle. “So get going.”

Gale shook her head in disbelief. “Why did you help me, if you knew?”

“Because I love you, Gale,” He said simply, as if it should have been obvious. “I’ve always loved you. I just want you to be happy. If you can’t be happy in Cavernae, then that’s not where you’re meant to be. You should go where you happiest, even if that’s not with me. And hey, I figured if I helped you, at the very least I’d get to see the stars.”

Gale’s throat tightened. She could feel tears coming to her eyes. “But your father…”

“Oh, don’t you worry about him,” Genus said, waving a hand dismissively. “I’ll talk to him. He can be reasonable at times. I’m sure he won’t like it much, but I’ll smooth it out. Don’t worry.”

“Genus,” she said, tears beginning to fall. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” He said gently, cupping her cheek with his hand and wiping the tears away with his thumb. “Just be safe. Be happy. For me.”

A stone lodged itself in her heart. She stepped close and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His arms went around her waist and squeezed, his nose buried in her hair, breathing in deeply. He was so warm, she found, and she enjoyed the feeling of his hands on her back, his thumbs rubbing softly. She loved how he smelled, like books and leather and ink. His kindness and selflessness broke her heart. She knew that doing this for her could cost him dearly. The idea of him paying any price for helping her made her ill.

Though he made no effort to step away, he said, “You should go. I have to get back to the palace. The portal will be closing soon.” His hand tangled itself in her curls.

Taking a breath, Gale replied, “You’re right. We should get back.”

He did step back at that, narrowing his eyes at her, his hands stilled on her waist and hair. “But, aren’t you going home?” he repeated.

“Yes, I am,” She said. “With you.”

He continued to frown with confusion, opening his mouth to speak but no sound came out.

Gale took his face in her hands, pulled him toward her, and kissed his lips. He immediately kissed back, as if hungry for it, his hands putting themselves on her hips and drawing her as close as possible. When she pulled away, she wasn’t the only one with tears in their eyes.

“Are you sure?” He asked her, his forehead resting on hers and his hands gliding up her back.

“Yes,” She replied. “Let’s go home.”

He gave a watery laugh of relief. Gale took his hand and led him back to the portal. He cast a wistful glance back at the brightening sky and followed.

Before stepping into it, Gale stopped short and looked back through the trees for one last glimpse of her family home, knowing she’d never see it again. She bid a silent apology to her mother, father, and brother, hoping that they were all right and that they’d understand.

Genus squeezed her fingers gently, not wanting to rush her but reminding her the portal would be closing presently.

She turned back to him and smiled, laying a kiss on his cheek to make him grin, his sharp teeth flashing in the sunlight. Together, they traveled back through the veil into Cavernae. The portal sealed itself just seconds later.


	5. Gale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeeeeex.

They stepped back through the portal, clasping hands and smiling at each other, when they were confronted by none other than Zinzo himself. The happy grins fell from their faces immediately, though they still held hands, more for support than anything else.

“You two had a pleasant outing, I trust?” He asked with his arms folded, glaring sourly at them both. His tail twitched behind him in agitation.

“Father, I--” Genus began, but he stopped when Zinzo raised his hand to silence him.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know about this?” He asked in annoyance. “Every portal in this kingdom has a spell on it that alerts me when they’re being used unauthorized.” He strode up to them, coming to a stop in front of his son and peering down at him. “So, what was so important in the outside world that you were willing to risk my ire to find it?”

Genus gulped and couldn’t meet his father’s eye. “Father… I… I just wanted to see the stars,” He said in a small voice.

“The stars?” Zinzo repeated venomously. “That’s all? Have I not provided you with enough books? Enough maps? Is that not good enough for you?”

“Father, please, you know that I appreciate all you do for me,” Genus insisted, hanging his head. “It’s just… it’s not the same.”

“It was my fault,” Gale said, stepping in front of Genus.

“Naturally,” Zinzo said, rounding on her. “You tricked my son to take you out so you could escape. It’s a miracle he was able to drag you back here, you willful, insolent child.”

“He didn’t drag me back,” Gale said, annoyed. She had to stamp down on the churlish impulse to shout _I’m not a child!_ “I came back under my own free will. Or didn’t your powers of perception see that?”

“That’s not the way it works, princess,” Zinzo said magnanimously. “I don’t need foresight to know you’d never come back here if you had a choice. You’ve been trying to escape for weeks. Why would you come back now that you’d found a way out?”

“Because I’m consenting to marry your son.”

Genus’s head snapped up, his eyes wide and mouth open. “You are?”

“Yes,” Gale said, ignoring Zinzo for a moment, who also looked rather surprised, and pulling Genus into a hug. “I’ll marry you, Genus.”

He started to laugh happily, squeezing her tightly, but then he pulled her away and held her by her upper arms, looking her shrewdly in the eye.

“Why the sudden change?” He said skeptically.

“It’s not sudden,” She said, but stopped when he raised an eyebrow at her. “All right, it’s a little sudden. But I’ve always been fond of you, Genus. I like you, I did from the beginning, since you gave me the book for my birthday.”

“You hated me,” Genus retorted.

“I never hated you, Genus. I hated the situation. I held you at arms length because I was so determined to leave, but when I saw the look on your face when you saw the stars, I knew I couldn’t leave you. You love the stars more than I do, and I didn’t think that was possible.”

She took his face in her hands and pulled him close. His arms wrapped around his waist. “I’m sorry I ever made you think I hated you. I never did. I was startled at first, certainly, but I didn’t hate you. I actually… I actually rather like you. I like your smile and the way you smell and how you talk about the things you love. Being here was better because you were here, too.”

“Really?” He asked, burying his face in her neck. “You mean that?”

Gale looked up at the sound of a soft chuckle and saw Zinzo standing there, silent with his arms crossed, a smile on his face. Not smug, self-satisfied, or cocky; just a fond, happy smile for his youngest son.

“Of course I do,” She said. “I know I lied to you and deceived you so I could leave, but I promise to never mislead you again. If you’re ever to see the stars or the sunrise again, I want to be with you when you do.”

“Sunrise!” Zinzo shouted, the happy smile gone, replaced by anger and terror. “Genus, you were out in the sun?!”

“Oh, yes, Father, but--” He was cut off when Zinzo rushed forward, pulling up Genus’s sleeves and checking his face and neck in a panic, searching for blisters or welts.

“Are you all right, my son?” Zinzo asked as he inspected him for injury. “Were you hurt? Are you in pain?”

“No, Father, I’m fine,” Genus insisted, taking his frantic father by the shoulders, stilling him. “I’m sun-immune. I didn’t come to any harm.”

“You didn’t?” Zinzo repeated, his brow furrowed with obvious concern. “So… it’s not you.”

“Not him?” Gale said, doing something she’d never thought she do and laying a consoling hand on Zinzo’s shoulder. “What do you mean?”

Zinzo put a hand to his forehead and squinted. “When my sons were young, I had a vision of one of them being burned by sunlight. Rather badly. It marred him irreparably; no magic I possessed could fix it. The vision was vague and I couldn’t tell which son was the victim, so I…” He frowned. “I may have made rash decisions.”

“That’s why you never let them out,” Gale said in realization.

“Yes,” Zinzo admitted. “I am… a proud man, my dear. It is not easy for me to admit weakness. When I had the vision of one of my sons horribly scarred, I was terrified. All I could think to do was forbid them from ever going up to the surface. Before now, they always seemed happy with that arrangement.”

“I can assure you, that’s not the case,” Gale said.

Zinzo turned to his son. “Is that true?”

Genus fidgeted. “Yes, Father. Pallidus, Viribus and I have always wanted to go to the surface. Pallidus and I were very jealous when you allowed Viribus to go, even though it’s for such a short time. We were just afraid to tell you.”

“I…” Zinzo, for the first time Gale had ever seen, seemed shocked and dismayed. “I regret you felt that way. The last thing I want is for my own children to be frightened of me.” 

“Are your visions always true?” Gale asked.

“Usually,” He said. “Though I have been mistaken once or twice.”

“Well, since Genus is sun-immune, could it be possible that all of your sons are? Viribus goes out twice a month.”

“Only at night,” Zinzo clarified. “He’s never been out during the day.” He rubbed his temples and sighed. “This is a lot for me to process and I have not yet eaten. Let’s table this discussion for now. We are all late for breakfast.” He looked at them both sternly. “You are to tell no one of this until I consider the matter further. Is that understood?”

“Yes, my Lord,” Genus and Gale said at once.

“Very good,” Zinzo said, satisfied. “Now, let’s go. I’m hungry.”

Genus smiled at his father, shaking his head, and held his hand out to Gale. She took it and planted a swift kiss on his lips before the three of them left the portal chamber.

Zinzo took it upon himself to announce Genus and Gale’s engagement that morning over breakfast, and there was a joyous celebration that followed. Tyria and Fawn hugged their youngest sister in happiness, and Genus’s brothers did the same for him.

Genus couldn’t help but notice that Pallidus, while happy for his younger brother, looked rather sad. It wasn’t hard to understand; their father had given them a year to get their perspective brides to agree to the marriage, and even though Tyria liked Pallidus well, she was still holding out on saying yes. His deadline was approaching quickly and Tyria was steadfastly indecisive. Pallidus was growing anxious and despairing.

After breakfast was over, Gale and Genus left the table and went their separate ways with a lingering kiss, both desperate for a nap.

A few days later, Gale and Genus was in their favorite room of the library, the sciences room, pouring over starcharts in several different languages.

“Do you think that Father might let us have the wedding outside under the stars now that he knows I’m sun-immune?”

“That would be marvelous,” Gale said. “Zinzo isn’t as big a di-- jerk as I first thought.”

Genus laughed his sweet, charming laugh. “I know he comes off that way to outsiders, but he has to present a strong demeanor or other powers-that-be may think him weak. Kings should never be associated with weakness. It gives others the notion to exploit it.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Gale said, braiding back her hair so that she could bend over the star maps without it falling into her face. “That’s precisely what nearly caused my father to lose his own kingdom, and why you and I were betrothed in the first place.”

Genus nodded knowingly. “Yes, Mother told us all about it. I’m sorry it had to happen this way.”

Gale kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry about it. It worked out, didn’t it?”

He smiled again. “Yes, you’re right.”

Gale giggled and reached for her hair ribbon, only to find she had misplaced it somewhere.

“Oh, shoot,” She said under her breath, looking around for it.

“What’s the matter?” He asked.

“I can’t find my ribbon,” She said, holding the tail of her braid while she looked.

“Oh,” He pulled his own shorter, messier braid forward and untied the black ribbon that held it together, nearly imperceptible against the black of his hair. “Here. Use mine.”

He moved behind her and took the tail of her braid, tying on his ribbon. While doing so, he accidentally tugged on it a bit, and her heart sped up and she felt a warmth in her stomach that bloomed and spread downward. It made her entire body tingle. Gale found herself surprised by her sudden, visceral reaction.

“Oh, sorry,” He said.

“No, it’s all right,” She replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

He moved back into Gale’s line of vision, and for the first time, she saw him with his hair out of it’s braid, falling down around his shoulders and framing his face. It was… really attractive. The way he smiled when he saw his ribbon in her hair and the clean, warm aroma of his skin and clothes as he leaned close to her didn’t help. She felt a wetness between her thighs that made her clamp them shut.

Gale tried to focus on the star map when suddenly Genus lifted his nose and began to sniff the air.

“Do you smell that?” He asked in a curious tone.

She gulped. “Smell what?”

“I don’t know,” He said, sniffing delicately. “I just caught it. Something changed. It’s like… I don’t know… But it smells _really_ good.”

Gale had forgotten that, of all of his brothers, Genus’s had the strongest sense of smell. Was it her he smelled? The thought was mortifying. She tried to calm her mind and body, to stop the swirl of desire in her most private place, but she couldn’t shake off the arousal she felt being next to him like this.

“I… I, um…” She swallowed hard and backed away. “I forgot, I was supposed to have tea this afternoon with Fawn. I should go, I don’t want to offend her.”

“All right,” He said pleasantly, smiling, though Gale could still see his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air around him. “I’ll see you at dinner then.”

“Of course,” Gale said.

He pressed a sweet kiss to her lips that almost made her knees give out, the throbbing between her legs getting worse. When he pulled back, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if confused. He sniffed again.

Gale fled quickly from the room, dashing to her own bedroom and closing the door behind her, panting heavily. She went to her bed, laying down and pulling up her skirts, unable to stop. She needed relief _now_.

She stripped off her undergarments and opened her thighs, stroking her wetness and groaning. She sighed and panted as her fingers circled her bud, wishing it was Genus doing it instead of her. But it wasn’t proper. She was a princess, he was a prince. Propriety dictated they wait for marriage. This was the best she could do until then.

She hadn’t counted on Genus’s curiosity, or that he’d realized the sudden aroma he’d noticed was stronger around Gale, and then disappeared when she left. He followed her to ask about it.

It was then he walked right into her room without thinking, forgetting to knock, ever the impulsive one. He saw her there, her skirts pulled all the way up to her waist, her bare legs spread, the fingers of one hand planted inside her, with her forefinger of the other massaging her pearl. She was touching herself urgently, writhing and moaning on the bed with her eyes closed. He knew he should leave, but he was unable to, mostly because he now had an awkward bulge in his pants that would be hard to explain.

He cleared his throat, and she gasped and sat up immediately, straightening herself.

“What are you doing in here?” She yelled at him, breathing hard and trying to hide her wetness with her skirts.

“Forgive me,” He said breathlessly. “I… I… I only wished to… I should have knocked, but I…”

She looked down and realized he was also aroused. As he turned to leave, she said, “Wait.”

He stopped and looked at her apprehensively. She walked closer to him and stopped just a few inches away.

“Why did you follow me here?” She asked him.

“The smell,” He said. “I was coming from you, but I didn’t know what it was. I just wanted to ask…” He looked down her body and then looked away. “I shouldn’t have come barging in, it was most inappropriate.”

She gathered her courage and said, “What if we forget appropriate for a moment.” He looked up at her, eyes wide. “Did you… like what you saw?” She asked.

“Uh…” He laughed a little, looking down at the trouser tent. “Yes, very much.” His brows creased in confusion. “What caused this all of a sudden?”

It started when he tugged on her hair. She’d had a strong, instantaneous reaction to it. She pulled his ribbon form her hair and shook out the braid.

“Do something for me,” She told him.

“All right,” He said, intrigued.

She took his hand and put into the hair at the nape of her neck.

“Make a fist and tug,” She said.

He gave her a slightly confused side smile and gathered a handful of her hair in his grip and tugged gently, pulling her head back. Her eyes closed involuntarily and she let out a breathy moan.

“Do you enjoy that?” He asked.

“Yeah,” She breathed. “I just didn’t know I did.”

He pulled more firmly, and a sharper moan escaped her uncontrollably. He seemed to be having trouble controlling himself, too, because he closed the gap between them, pressing his body against hers, and laid open-mouthed kisses on her exposed neck. His tail slithered excitedly behind him.

“Genus,” She said, her hand drifting to the bulge. He gasped at the first touch of her fingers as they dragged up and down over his trousers. “I know we’re supposed to wait, but I can’t. I need this.”

“Me, too,” He gasped, pulling her toward the bed. They both shivered and shook with need as they tried getting their clothes off. Once they were both unclothed, Gale jumped onto the bed and pulled Genus onto her, their kisses deep and probing. He kissed his way down her body, paying careful attention not to poke her with is antlers, and nuzzled her legs open.

“This is what I smelled,” He said, taking a deep breath when he reached the fuzzy hair between her legs. He planted a kiss there that electrified her spine. “It smells incredible.” He licked a long swipe from bottom to top, and she groaned at the sensation, her thighs twitching.

After a couple of minutes of strong, insistent licking and slurping, he flipped her over with relative ease, reminding her how deceptively strong he was, which aroused her more, and climbed over the top of her. She was lying on her stomach, but he grasped her hair and tugged until she was kneeling underneath him. She gasped with delight.

He stretched his body over her, kissing her spine and shoulders. He still had a firm grip on her hair, and turned her head so that he was whispering directly into her ear.

“I’m sorry, love,” He said, licking and nipping at her ear as he did so. “I would prolong this, but I’m afraid I can’t wait any longer. I’ve wanted you for so long.”

“Yes, please,” She moaned. “Please, I need you.”

Keeping her in place with his grip, he straightened up behind her and pressed his length to her entrance. As she felt him enter her, her arms nearly gave out, but he gave her hair a sharp yank to keep her upright, making her grunt and laugh.

He watched as he buried himself slowly and deeply inside her until his hips touched her rear.

“How do you feel, beloved?” He asked while he was still adjusting. “Does it hurt?”

“Yes,” She moaned. “But it feels so good.”

He really, really liked this. He pulled all the way out and then slammed back into her. She cried out, and her arms did give way as she collapsed into her pillows, but he readjusted his grasp on her hair and jerked her upright again.

“Is this all right?” He asked, suddenly worried. In his enthusiasm, he had forgotten to ask after her well-being. “You must tell me if I’m doing something that you don’t like.”

“I _love_ it,” She whimpered through gritted teeth. “More, please.”

That was all he needed. He took off like a shot, ramming into her at incredible speed. She bounced off of him, balling up the sheets in her fists and grunting with every thrust.

He pulled out of her and lay down on the bed, snapping her her down onto him. Her lips licked the head of his member and he shuddered under her. Her mouth came down to suck, and he kicked his hooves against the sheets, moaning. It only took a few moments of her tongue against his shaft, and he could feel himself get close to the breaking point.

“Not yet,” He said. He pulled her up to face him and kissed her deeply, releasing her hair to touch her face gently as their lips explored each other’s skin. She knelt over him so that he could touch and taste her breasts. One of his hands cupped one nipple as his tongue caressed and tugged at the other. The remaining hand made its way between her legs and pushed two fingers into her, making her body shiver. She gasped and whispered his name, grinding against his palm.

He took hold of her hip with one hand and of himself with the other, leading his length to her dripping opening. She sunk down onto him with a sharp exhale, sensitive and hot inside.

He let her grind herself on top of him, pushing and pulling him, rubbing that bundle of nerves above their joining against his body, working up to release. He watched her face hungrily, laying there, letting her use his body to get what she needed.

When it happened, she nearly screamed, and he had to clap a hand to her mouth to keep her from notifying the entire palace of their ill-advised tryst. He took her hair in his hand again and yanked her down onto his chest, thrusting up at speed as she tried to recover from her orgasm, only for her to gush on him a second time. One hand held her against him firmly by her hair, and the other held her rear in place as he thrust with precision, feeling the pressure build until finally his body went rigid with pleasure, his warmth escaping his body and entering hers.

He grunted every time it shot out of him, his hips jerking erratically, crushing her against him. When he was finally spent, he relaxed under her, releasing her hair to cradle her head gently, kissing her forehead.

After a few moments, while they rested, he asked, “Are you all right, my love? I may have been a little over zealous. I hope I didn’t injure you.”

She looked up at him with a sleepy smile. “I”m sure I’ll be sore later, but I don’t think there’s any damage done.” She moved off of him to fit in the curve of his arm and lay her head on his shoulder. “I feel lovely.”

He smiled, rolling on his side so that he could pull her close, petting her back softly. “Still, I’d like to be sure. Why don’t we take a bath? I can examine you and make sure you’re all right.”

“If it would make you happy,” She said, sitting up and stretching.

They got up and went into the bathing chamber, the pool already full of warm water. There was also wine and cheese in a covered tray by the archway. Gale sighed. _Magic._

She eased into the water, admitting she was rather sore, and Genus climbed in after her. He was quite a stunning sight like this, with his grey skin sparkling in the reflection of the water and his red eyes looking at her with an expression of bliss. He even had some muscle tone that he kept hidden under his plain clothes. His tail swished the water like a snake and made Gale laugh.

He gently ran his hands along every inch of her body, looking for any marks or bruises. Evidently satisfied, he kissed her softly and propped her against the side of the pool, dipping his length inside her for seconds, only much more gently this time. She smiled against his lips. If this is what it was going to be like when they were married, why on earth had she waited so long?

Genus spent a good amount of time tending to Gale, massaging the sore muscles tenderly and lavishing her with attention, but he eventually was going to have to leave before dinnertime. As much as Zinzo had approved of Gale’s decision to finally marry Genus, they doubted he’d be as happy about their coupling before the wedding.

When he did leave, it was with many deep, hungry kisses. Both Genus and Gale had made the choice to wait for the wedding before laying together again. Or, at least, they’d try.

“It’s going to be hard to wait,” Genus said. “I don’t know why Father is insisting we wait until Tyria has made her decision before the rest of us can marry.”

“I don’t either,” Gale said, pulling Genus close. “I hope she makes up her mind soon. I don’t know what’s taking her so long.”

“I’m sure she has her reasons,” Genus sighed unhappily. “You did, after all.”

Gale laughed. “Yes. I was stubborn.”

Genus shook his head. “No, you were right. This was a terrible situation for you to be dropped into with no warning. I do feel bad about that.”

“You shouldn’t,” Gale said. “It was my parents’ job to tell us about this. Their failure to uphold their end of the agreement isn’t your fault or mine. I’m sure they thought they were sparing us, but all they did was make it harder on those of us it actually affected.”

“Try not to judge them too harshly,” Genus said sympathetically. “If we have children, we may be put into a similar situation. Who’s to say how we would handle it?”

“I’d rather not think of such a thing,” Gale sighed. “Let us be happy now. We’ll worry about our children’s future if and when we have them.”

“Sounds good to me,” Genus said, letting out that laugh Gale loved to hear.

“I love you, my prince,” Gale said, holding him tight.

“And I you, my princess,” He replied.


	6. Fawn

Gale’s sudden change of heart had come as a shock to everyone, but most of all to Fawn. Fawn had been the one who had always dreamed of a storybook romance, whereas Gale always insisted she’d never marry. It had only taken five weeks for Gale to decide on Genus. Fawn needed nearly double that time to come to the realization that she wanted to be with Viribus. Tyria still hadn’t made up her mind.

Fawn really wished she would, though. Zinzo insisted on waiting until each princess had made her choice before he’d allow any of them to marry. Now that she and Viribus were properly betrothed, however, the waiting was agony.

Viribus was always careful with Fawn, his embraces gentle, his kisses chaste. Fawn was too embarrassed to tell him that she wanted so much more than quick kisses and sweet hugs. She wanted him to ravish her, to tear off her clothes and do wondrously unspeakable things to her body. Perhaps Viribus feared that he would break her but she kind of wanted him to; it would be _so worth it_.

The day after Gale and Genus’s formal engagement was announced, Fawn was with Viribus in his workroom as he carefully sculpted a parapet from wood. He was still working on Fawn’s home castle, though he was nearly done. He was a bit of a perfectionist about his own work; if something was even slightly wrong or dissimilar to the original, he’d throw it out and start from scratch. He was an artist, after all.

Fawn sat on the ground and played with Peach, Viribus’s rescue dog. She giggled as the tiny brown mutt yapped at her hand before attacking it, nipping and then running away only to slide back and beg for belly rubs before repeating the whole process over again.

Viribus looked down at the two of them and laughed his deep, barrel laugh fondly. “You’ll be a wonderful mother one day,” He said suddenly.

Fawn grinned at the thought of bearing Viribus’s children. “How many do you want?” She asked him, tugging a knotted rope that Peach had in his mouth, jerking it around.

“How many what?” He asked, casually blowing away chips of wood dust.

“Children.”

“Oh,” He looked at her in surprise, his cheeks darkening. “Oh… I hadn’t really given much thought…”

She smirked at him. “Oh, come now, surely you’ve thought about it a little bit.”

He smiled softly and continued his work. “I do like the idea of a few little ones I crawling around my feet. Holding them, teaching them, tucking them in at night and listening to you read them stories. I just never believed I’d have the chance, so I didn’t let myself think about it.”

Fawn’s head rocked back. “But we were betrothed.”

“Well, yes, but I never thought you’d ever…” He snapped a fleck of wood away, then stopped abruptly. He sighed, and lowered his work, staring at the opposite wall.

“What’s the matter?” She asked.

He turned toward her, but didn’t look up. “Listen, my darling… after we’re married, when the time comes for us to…” He stumbled to a stop, his blush deepening. “If it’s not what you want, I understand. I would never force or coerce you. I hope you know that.”

“What are you talking about?” She asked, perplexed. “Do you mean being intimate with you?”

He nodded, still avoiding her eye. “I know I’m big and frightening and fearsome looking, and you may be afraid of me. You might believe I’ll hurt you. You may not even… desire…” He cleared his throat nervously. “What I mean is… I may not be… what you want… and… that’s all right…”

Fawn stood up and went to him, taking the wood and carving knife from him, laying them on the table. She took his face in her hands and made him look at her.

“Viri,” She asked him seriously. “Do you think I don’t want to be with you? Do you think I find you ugly?”

“I understand if you do,” He said earnestly, his face open and without shields. “You’re so beautiful and lovely and I’m… _this_.” He gestured to himself, his eyes downcast. “I’m monstrous and intimidating and I don’t mean to be. But I can’t be anything else. I’m not handsome like Pallidus or smart like Genus. I am what I am. And it’s _this_.”

His solid black eyes seemed to be made of liquid obsidian in the way they shined. Her brows furrowed, unable to believe what she was hearing.

“I know you care for me and that may just be out of pity or some sense of duty since our marriage was arranged. If it is, I can accept that. I just want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world and I would never do anything to hurt you. Even if that means we never…” His blush crept down his neck. “Consummate the marriage. That’s all right. I just want you to be happy.”

Fawn’s heart broke to hear him talk about himself like that. How could he not see how beautiful he was? How strong? How… for a lack of a better word… _sexy_ he was to her? How could he not know how badly she wanted him?

Well, obviously. Because she hadn’t told him.

“Viri, look at me,” She said. He looked up into her eyes, and the sadness she saw in them broke her heart anew. She tried to find the words to tell him, but realized actions would speak louder, and her mouth came down on his. This was no chaste kiss: she bit his lip to open his mouth and plunged her tongue inside. She moaned and gasped, her arms thrown around his neck, pulling him as close as she could.

He went still for a moment, unable to comprehend what was happening, before his arms went around her and he held her as tight as he felt safe in doing, kissing her back with enthusiasm. One of her legs wrapped itself around his, and he held it there with one arm, his hand sliding under her skirt to feel the soft skin of her rear.

He stood and swiped everything that he had been working on off of the table with a loud clattering, picking her up and laying her down on top of it, rising over her, his lips on the skin of her chest above the low neckline of her gown. Her knees rose and parted, and he stepped between them, rubbing himself up against the heat between her legs with his own over their clothes, and she cried out, singing his name.

This seemed to snap him back to his senses. His lips left the warmth of her skin and his hands rested against the table on either side of her head.

“We must… stop…” He gasped. “We should wait… for the wedding… this isn’t right… we must wait…”

They both were panting and sweating slightly. His pelvis, still pressed against her, stopped its rutting, making her grunt in frustration and try to move against him, only for him to pull himself away without straightening up. Fawn pulled at his shirt to get him to kiss her again, but he refused to budge.

Slowly, reluctantly, he climbed off of her and helped her down, settling her dress around her. He sat heavily on his work stool and looked at her in awe.

“I didn’t think…” He stuttered. “I would never have believed…”

She walked into his arms and hugged his neck tight, careful not to knock her head into his large, ram-like horns.

“I love you, Viribus. It’s not out of pity or duty. I love you because you are a handsome, wonderful, kind, loving person who deserves to be loved.” She pulled away so that she could look at him, taking his face in her hands again, pressing her body to his. “And to answer the question you weren’t asking, I _want_ you. I want you _so badly_. I have for months.”

“You have?” He breathed in disbelief, his arms coming to rest around her waist.

“The night you came back with the arrow in your shoulder,” She said. “I was scared to death. I cared about you a great deal then, but at the time, it was just the innocent love of a woman who’d never been in love before. But when you pulled off your tunic so I could treat your injury, and I saw the muscles moving under your skin, all I wanted to do was drag my fingernails down your back to see them jump. I wanted to hear you moan my name.”

“Really?” Viribus said, his gaze locking on her mouth, his breathing becoming heavy again.

“And then I saw the front of you, and oh gods, all I wanted was to lick from your stomach all the way up to your chin.”

“You did?” He said, his mouth getting ever closer to hers but stopping short of actually touching.

Her body was shaking so badly, she was practically vibrating against him. “And watching you move in these tight tunics shifting around your muscles. Do you know how hard it is to watch that and not want to rip them off with my teeth?”

“How hard?”

“So hard,” She moaned, her lips finally connecting with his. They kissed over and over between gasping breaths, and she climbed into his lap, moving her skirts out of the way and grinding up against him, where he was still rock hard under his pants. He groaned and his head fell back.

She reached down and pulled up his tunic, finally feeling the stone-like abdominal muscles under the fabric, and whimpered with excitement as he grasped her hips, urging her to move faster against him, both still fully clothed.

“Did you want me?” She breathing into his neck, sucking on the skin.

“So much,” He groaned, pulling his head up, seeking out the skin of her collarbone, tugging down the neckline of the dress so that he could nibble along it.

“Tell me,” She cried out, rutting faster.

“I’ve wanted you for years,” He said, his chest heaving with the exertion of restraining himself from ripping both their clothes off. “Gods, you’re so beautiful.”

“I am?”

“So beautiful,” He repeated, wrapping one of his big hands around her face and into her hair, meeting her lips for a hungry kiss. “Watching you in the mirror, I’ve wanted to see what your body looked like under your clothes. They way your dresses hugged your shape, the way you bent and leaned, showing hints at what lay underneath. It was torture because I couldn’t touch you. You were so far away.”

“You never peeked?” She asked, keeping up a rhythm that was bringing them both to a peak fast. “Not even once?”

“Never,” He said, his hips now moving in sync with hers, the sounds of his grunts more precise and purposeful. “I never did. You were to be my wife. What kind of man looks at any woman without her knowledge? If you chose to reveal your body to me, it would be my honor and privilege. I’d never take that from you.”

“Oh, gods,” Fawn cried, her moans frantic. “How are you so perfect?”

He was at the edge of ecstasy, but he couldn’t help but smile and ask, “You think I’m perfect?”

She was unable to answer, shrieking her pleasure in his ear. He came just after her, contained within his trousers, with a loud shout, followed by many short, quick moans. It was a good thing this workroom was so far away from the busier parts of the palace.

When they were done, Viribus held her against him as she shivered from the aftershocks, kissing her neck and shoulder softly. He couldn’t believe what had happened. She really _did_ want him.

“So,” She said eventually, not lifting her head. “How much trouble are we in?”

He chuckled and kissed her ear. “I don’t know.”

“It can’t be that much,” She said, finally sitting up straight in his lap and staring at him lovingly. “I mean, we never even took off our clothes. I’m still a virgin, and I assume you are, too.”

He nodded. “Yes,” He admitted. “I suppose this is a bit of a grey area.”

“It’s a nice grey area,” She said, giggling and kissing him. He laughed along with her.

“Yes, it is.” He pet back the damp hair from her dace and gazed at her wonderingly. “I never dared hope you would love me back, or that you would want me the way I want you.”

“I do,” She replied, tapping his nose. “You must believe that now.”

He nodded, smiling happily. “I want seven children.”

She laughed. “We’ll see,” She sighed and kissed him over and over. “I wish we could start now. I wish Zinzo would just let us marry already. Didn’t you ask him?”

“Yes,” Viribus huffed, stroking her hair. “He’s pretty adamant about all of us waiting.”

“What if we told him we wanted to have a baby?” She asked. His eyes widened in surprise. “Half of the point of arranging these marriages is to produce heirs, right? What if we told him were were planning to provide one, just a little earlier than he expected.”

He looked at her in shock, searching her face. “You’re serious. You really want to have a baby now? With me?”

She nodded vigorously. “I really do. Is… that what you want?”

He laughed joyfully. “Yes! Oh, my love, I want that more than anything! I… I can’t believe this is happening to me!”

She kissed him, and he stood from the stool, swinging her around twice before setting her down in front of him and bending to kiss the top of her head.

“He still may not agree. My father is a stubborn man,” Viribus sighed.

“Hmm…” Fawn hummed. She looked up at him with a curious gleam in her eye. “What if he didn’t have a choice?”

“How so?”

“Well, he seems to be awfully fond of putting people in situations they have no control over, so what if we turned the tables on him?”

“I don’t follow.”

She bit her lip and smiled. “Have you ever heard the phrase ‘it’s better to beg forgiveness than ask permission?’”

Viribus seemed like he was catching on. “Oh. Oh, no. No, no, no. He’ll be furious!”

“What’s he going to do, Viri? Forbid us from marrying? Nullify the contract he himself drew up? He’s too proud to do that. And he’ll have an heir. It’s looking like Tyria may never marry Pallidus, the poor thing, and I know Gale has no interest in having children, so where else is he going to get his successor? He’s not going to banish us or his grandchild just because we pissed him off.”

“He might,” Viribus said nervously.

“No, he won’t,” Fawn said sternly. “This is what he wants, it’s just not the way he wants it. I think it’s time he got a taste of his own medicine.”

Viribus rubbed his neck and shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re serious about this.”

“I’m completely serious,” She said, tugging on his shirt until he knelt down to her face level. “I want to be with you. I want to have your child. I’m sick of biding time and waiting on the whims of others. It’s our turn to get what we want.”

He grinned at her. “I’ve always loved this feisty, unpredictable side of you, but right now, it’s scaring me a little.”

“Good,” She said, kissing him again, leaning her forehead against his. “Let’s make your father scared of me, too.”

“When?” He asked her.

“We’ll start tonight, when the palace goes quiet,” She replied, her small hands slowly working their way under the fabric of his shirt collar. “It’ll have to be in your quarters. My bed isn’t big enough for you.”

He snorted. “Neither are you. You’re so small. I’m constantly terrified I’m going to hurt you.”

“You’d never hurt me, Viribus, you said so yourself, any more than you’d ever hurt Peach,” She gazed into the reflectiveness of his black eyes and smiled sweetly. “You’ll be an amazing father.”

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I can’t wait.”

It was hard getting through the rest of the day, knowing what was waiting for them. While Viribus went to--clean himself--and change his clothes, she went to the library to find a way of concealing herself so she could reach his bedchamber unnoticed by the evening staff. She managed to find a recipe for an invisibility potion and an antidote, and had to bribe the palace apothecarist with her best necklace to get him to leave for the amount of time it would take to brew both.

She went back to her room and told her chambermaid, Lio, that she wouldn’t need her that night and to take some time for herself. Lio bowed and thanked her, ducking out gratefully. Fawn knew Lio had centaur sweetheart that worked in the stables outside the palace gates that she didn’t get to see often, so she thought this would be the perfect excuse for them both to get what they wanted. Fawn smiled smugly.

She prepared a bag for the night, snatching up a vial of mineral oil and some aromatic candles she had taken from the apothecary ages ago, leaving her earrings as payment. She picked out her slinkiest nightgown and took a long, luxurious bath, scrubbing her face and body clean, styling her hair and using her best scented body powder. She was pulling out all the stops.

Dinner that evening was a trial for both Fawn and Viribus, sitting next to each other with their bodies throbbing. Every touch of their hands or sideways glance was agonizing.

To Fawn’s dismay, Tyria had suggested that she and Gale join her for a social evening with three of them and some other noblewomen that either lived in or near the palace, wherein they sat, talked, and busied themselves with whatever hand work needed doing. It was usually a nice occasion to talk with other women of this country and learn about their customs. Fawn enjoyed it and looked forward to it most days, but this evening it was a chore and seemed to take forever. All she could think about was getting away to Viribus.

By the time she finally left, it was nearing midnight. Viribus must think she’d gotten cold feet, and after the speech she’d made insisting that she basically worshiped him, she felt horrible. She had to hurry before he grew too upset.

She went to her own bedchamber, climbed out of her dress, put on the slinky nightgown and covered it with a dressing robe. She picked up the small bag with the things from the apothecary, and when she felt she was ready, she stood in front of her mirror and placed a single drop of the invisibility potion on her forehead, one on her tongue, and one over her heart.

It happened gradually. The corners of her body fizzled slightly and the fizzling moved inward and down. Before long, her body was a whisper of a shadow. She could see a faint outline of herself, but only if she looked really hard. Perfect.

Giggling happily, she snuck out of her door and down the hall, watching for any sign that she was noticeable, but the palace staff looked through her.

Viribus’s room was far from the main hall, not as far away as his workroom, but it still took several minutes for her to trod there silently. She opened the door without knocking and found Viribus sitting on the edge of his bed with his head hanging, his hands clasped between his knees. His head popped up when the door opened and closed.

“Who’s there?” He asked, standing to his full, impressive height.

“It’s me!” Fawn called, pulling the antidote from her bag. She dabbed a bit on her finger and used it to wash her forehead, tongue, and the space above her heart. The fizzling snapped into clarity, and there she was, standing in his chambers.

He gasped, rushing forward and embracing her, lifting her up off the ground.

“I thought you had reconsidered,” He said thickly in her hair. “I was…”

“Tyria had me attention a social gathering with the other ladies of status. I couldn’t get away without attracting attention to myself, or I’d have been here much sooner, I assure you.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Of course. I should have had more faith in you.”

“Yes, you should,” She replied sternly.

He set her down on her feet and sat heavily on the edge of his bed. His hands were shaking.

“Are you nervous?” She asked him, walking between the open space between his knees and pressing her hands against his chest.

“Yes,” He admitted, looking at her tiny body, his hands drifting up and down her sides. “I’m terrified. How will we even… fit?” He asked desperately.

“Oh,” she said, reaching into her bag and pulling out the oil. “My handmaid and I have a lot of rather… candid conversations. Apparently, she and her boyfriend have a similar size problem… I heard her say that oils helps them quite a lot, so I got some, and some other things I thought we might use.” She set out the candles and lit them.

Viribus coughed and blushed. “How long have you been planning this?”

“I told you I’ve wanted you for a while now,” She giggled. “She also said playing with each other helps, too.”

He gulped. “Playing?”

“Mm-hmm,” Fawn said. She licked her lips and stared into his eyes. “Do you… are you ready to…”

“You’ll tell me, won’t you?” He asked her, his breath speeding up. “You’ll tell me if I hurt you?”

“Don’t you trust me, love?” She asked him.

“Yes, of course,” He said. “I’m just so…”

“Shh,” She pressed her fingers to his lips. “Stop worrying. We’ll talk to each other and be careful. I love you. Love me.”

He pressed his forehead against her chest and inhaled the scent of her through her clothing. She reached up and began to lift the hem of his sleeping tunic, raising it above his head, careful not to hook it on his horns. He pulled on the belt of her robe until it opened and he pushed it down her shoulders and to the floor.

“Stand up for me,” She asked him, and he complied. She untied the drawstrings of his linen sleeping pants, and they fell away, leaving him naked before her.

He was magnificent. She had to take a step back to admire him, biting her lip with a smile as she did so. He watched her face as she looked him over, clearly enjoying what she saw. She lay the fingernails on both hands on his pectoral muscles and dragged them down his torso, raking them across his abdominal muscles and watching them contract. She smiled wickedly.

“You really like what you see?” He asked her.

“Oh, yes, my love,” She replied a little breathlessly. “You are stunning to look upon.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “ _Stunning?_ ” He asked in an uncertain undertone. He took hold of the straps of her nightgown and snapped them effortlessly, letting the sheer fabric fall away until she, too, was standing nude.

“You, my darling, are breathtaking,” He said, lowering his head to her bare shoulder and inhaling deeply.

“I heard the maids talking about other things, too,” Fawn said as her hands got closer and closer to his considerable length. “Intriguing things.”

“What sorts of things?” He asked.

She directed him to sit back down and lie with his legs hanging over the side of the bed. When he did so, she took a good, long look at the member standing at attention and dug her nails into the soft, tender flesh of the inside of his thighs. He gasped and it jumped and twitched.

She got the oil and spilled a little on her palm, and then took him in hand, rubbing the oil into the soft skin from the tip down to the base, making him moan loudly in pleasure. She pumped slowly, taking her time, and his muscles twitched all over.

He sat up to capture her mouth for a deep, hungry kiss, pulling her on top of him and onto the bed. They kissed for a good amount of time, and she could feel his hardness sandwiched between the two of them, throbbing and pulsing.

He rolled, and she slid off of him and onto the bed. He maneuvered her so that she lay on the pillows and he kissed her lips, then started his way down her body. He paid special attention to her nipples, licking and sucking and tugging until she was dripping and gasping for him to take her. But he was still cautious. He made his way farther down, kissing the heat between her thighs, making her squeal and writhe. He carefully slipped a finger into her entrance, and she rose off the bed, gripping the blankets and crying out. A second finger joined the first, pushing in and pulling out.

“You’re so hot inside. And wet,” He said. “All this is because of me?”

“I want you so bad,” She moaned, grinding against his fingers, of which a third pushed itself in. His fingers were very large, and it stretched her, but not uncomfortably.

“It’s so hard for me to believe that, but _gods…_ ” He pressed his tongue against the bundle of nerves there, eliciting a high-pitch whimper from her. “It feels so good to hear.”

Her hips rolled frantically against his hand. “Viri, please.”

He took a deep breath and reached for the oil, slicking himself down again.

“You must tell me if I’m hurting you,” He said as he lined himself with her entrance and very gently nudging it. “Promise me, my love.”

“I promise,” She hissed, her hips trying to stretch to pull him in. “I swear I will, just please hurry, I need you.”

He leaned down to press his body against hers and kiss her as he pushed himself gingerly inside her opening. She went rigid, open-mouthed, and silent, her breathing stuttering to a stop. Her eyes rolled back and shut and her chin tilted upward, the muscles in her neck taut.

“Pain?” Viribus huffed. The incredible sweetness of her walls squeezing tightly around his shaft was robbing him of words, but he needed to know she was all right.

She could only shake her head, taking a huge, shuddering gasp and urging him to keep going with her feet against his rear, pulling him farther inside her. Slowly, so painfully slowly, he pushed himself inside. He felt his length hit the back and stopped, taking time to let her get used to the stretch.

She didn’t want time. She wanted action. She gritted her teeth and grunted in frustration, grinding desperately. “For gods’ sake, Viri, _move!_ ” She snarled.

“You’re sure it’s not--”

“ _MOVE!_ ”

He obeyed, pulling himself halfway out and thrusting back in once at a medium speed, to test her tolerance. She dug her fingernails into the back of his upper arms and screamed for him to keep going. He was a little more confident after that, but he still kept himself in reserve. If he gave her his full force, he could likely seriously injure her.

As it was, the current pace was enough to keep her moaning his name over and over. The feeling of her clamping down on him as he moved inside her overwhelmed everything else. He hugged her tight to him, his face buried in his hair and he planted his erection inside her again and again, hitting the back wall each time.

She moved so that she was on her side with him laying behind her and hooked her leg over his waist. He held her breasts in his hands as he continued thrusting, climbing that peak, whispering how beautiful she was and how much he loved her in her ear, touching and tasting and adoring every inch of her body.

She was beyond words. The tide was rising powerfully inside her and she was unable to articulate a single rational thought. She came hard, gushing over his organ and down her legs, screaming into the sheets.

But he wasn’t finished yet. He slowed to allow the pleasure to run it’s course through her body, but when she had calmed, he maneuvered her so that she was sitting in his lap. She reached back and rested her hands on his legs and thrust against him, bouncing against his rigid body, her breasts keeping time to the rhythm. He gripped her hips and pulled slightly to give her a firmer _smack_ , slapping their bodies into each other hard and fast. Her second orgasm was quick in coming.

When that one subsided, he lay her gently on the bed and covered her body with his own. Resting on his forearms, he left his length buried in her body and kissed her slow and sweet. Her skin was flushed and sweating, her eyes glazed and half-open, and her hair lay wild about her head, but to him, she was more beautiful than she’d ever been, and that was saying something.

As he kissed her, his hips moved leisurely, in and out, in and out; a blissful, luscious pressure that built slowly and without urgency. She was no longer begging him to go faster or crying out for release, just enjoying the sensation of him inside her, the comforting weight of his body on hers, propped up on his arms to prevent crushing her, and the loving kisses he showered her with. It was paradise.

Gradually, his speed increased, but it was just as delicious. She rubbed him with her pelvis tilted upward, her toes curled, and the third orgasm washed over her like a smooth wave, almost tranquil, leaving Fawn in a trance-like state.

“I love you so much,” She breathed, and he sped up abruptly, releasing deep into her. His body locked up and he breathed out a long, heavy breath as he strained with the effort of not collapsing onto her, his hips pressed tight against her, shuddering as he shot everything he had into her body.

When he was spent, he rolled away a little, drawing her into his arms. She lay speechless and like jelly, like all the bones had been extracted from her body.

“Are you all right, darling?” He asked her when he was able to do anything besides breathe and groan.

“Yeah,” She gasped “I’d be shocked I wasn’t already pregnant after that.” She crossed her legs, closing the exit so that the warmth he'd left there only had one other place to go.

He snickered. “Stranger things have happened.”

“Won’t it be wonderful, Viri?” She asked, running the back of her knuckles across his bare chest. “I’m just picturing you holding an itty-bitty version of the two of us.”

“I hope they look just like you,” he said dreamily.

“Aw,” she replied. “But you’re so handsome. I hope they get some of your looks, too.”

“Goodness, no,” he sniffed. “They don’t need--”

“You say one negative thing about yourself and you’re not allowed to touch me ever again,” She sniffed.

“ _Nooo,_ ” He moaned in a baritone so deep it made her ribcage rattle, locking his arms around her in such a way that it would be physically impossible to free herself.

She found the raw, barely containable power he possessed in his body exhilarating. It was such a thrill to know that he could snap her like a toothpick at any given moment. It was also endearing that the very idea he might do such a thing sent him into fits of shyness so bad that he often wouldn’t touch her for several hours, instead letting _her_ touch _him_ to her heart’s content.

“I do hope I will be pregnant soon,” She said. “I hope it doesn’t take forever.”

“Yes,” He agreed. “But don’t get your hopes up right away. These things happen as they happen.”

“I suppose,” She said, turning so that she could curl into the curve of his body. “Still. I’m so excited.”

“Me too,” he agreed.

Even so, it was nearly three months and much love making later when Fawn realized her menses was over a week late. Once she discovered this, she rushed to Viribus’s workroom.

“Viribus!” She she called loudly, making him jump and drop a little bear he had been crafting.

“What, darling? Are you all right?” He asked, immediately concerned, setting down his work to devote his full attention to her.

She bounced on her heels excitedly. “I think we did it!”

“Did what?” He asked.

“I’m late!” She squealed.

“Late for what?” He asked.

“My menses! I haven’t had my menses this month, and I’m usually like clockwork!” She could barely contain her glee. “I think I’m pregnant!”

His eyes and mouth went wide. “Really? Oh, finally!”

He went to pick her up to squeeze her, but stopped himself and instead gently embraced her, kissing her neck and laying a hand on her belly.

“We’ll have to wait a little longer to be sure, but I think this is it!” Her smile made her face glow. “I’m so happy, darling!”

“As am I,” Viribus said, tears streaming down his face.

They waited another two weeks, and at the first hint of morning sickness, they decided it was time to tell Zinzo.

They found him the family’s common room, a place where they all congregated to spend time with each other. Fawn always thought it was rather sweet that they all took the time to be a family and do things together. It reminded her painfully of her own family.

Zinzo sat with his wife, the ice Elf of ethereal beauty, and they both looked up when Fawn and Viribus entered.

“Ah!” He said as he saw them enter. “What a pleasant surprise. Yuana was just suggesting a card game. Would the two of you like to participate?”

“No, thank you, Father,” Viribus said. “We come with news.”

“Hopefully that Tyria has come to her senses at last,” He said, jotting down a note in an open book next to his arm. “She only has a week left to do so.”

“No, that’s not it, my Lord,” Fawn said apprehensively. “We’ve come to tell you… we’re expecting a child.”

They had expected disappointment and anger, even perhaps a rage-induced lecture about the scandal such a thing would cause. What they hadn’t expected was the silent shock, or the heartbroken sob that issued from the queen from behind her hands, or the king folding his fingers in front of his mouth, closing his eyes and sighing heavily.

“You. Utter. _Fools,_ ” He said in a dangerously quiet voice. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”

“I understand you are angry, my Lord,” Fawn said piously, emboldened by Viribus’s warm hands on her shoulders. This speech had been well-rehearsed. “And you are right to be. We have let our baser instincts sway our actions, and we apologize. But under the circumstances, would it not be prudent to allow us to marry immediately? We could avoid a public embarrassment, and I don’t think my sisters would object--”

“You stupid, selfish girl!” Zinzo said, slamming his fist into the desk, standing abruptly and sending his chair, heavy though it was, flying backward. “Have you any idea what you’re taking from me! What you’re taking from my son!”

“I’m taking nothing!” Fawn protested. “I’m giving him my hand in marriage! I’m giving you an heir! Isn’t that the entire point of the betrothal contract?”

“ _The contract--_ ” He spat loudly, his voice raised. He stopped himself and forced his voice into a lower tone. “Any magical contract has conditions for all parties involved. I am not immune to these conditions. That’s just how magic works. Even the caster of the spell must be willing to take a risk. You don’t get something for nothing; there are always stakes, something you stand to lose.”

“What are the conditions for you, Father?” Viribus asked, worried.

Zinzo pinched the bridge of his nose and stared into the embers in the fireplace.

“The terms of the contract are for Rodai to provide my sons with wives, which he has done. My side of the bargain was to ensure that the potential brides have enough time to accept the betrothal. The contract specified a year for each son. If the women do not formally accept the betrothal by the deadline…” He sighed. “The potential brides will be sent home, never to return. All of them. All must agree to the betrothal, or the contract is void.”

“But…” Fawn said. “Viribus’s year didn’t start until four months after Pallidus’s. Genus’s was three months after I arrived. Shouldn’t their years be in effect?”

“No,” He said. “The contract alters the flow of time around those directly affected by it. Your's and Gale's years ended when you both formally accepted your betrothal. Tyria’s deadline is now your deadline.”

Fawn’s chest began to constrict. “But… can nothing be done?”

“The language of the contract is iron-clad. Unless Tyria makes a decision, you, your sisters, and my son’s unborn child will leave this kingdom and never return.”

“There has to be something you can do!” Fawn cried as Viribus sat heavily in a chair with his head in his hands.

“Do you think this is what I want?” Zinzo bellowed. “Do you think I delight in the idea of what miserable shells my sons will be once you and your sisters have left? Do you think I want you to take my grandchild to a place beyond my reach? That I may never meet them? That my son will never know his own child? Do you think me pleased?!”

“Then do something about it!” Fawn said. “You’re the Demon King! The Lord of Magic! Fix it!”

“Many ignorant imbeciles may blithely believe that magic is a bottomless well of possibility, but it isn’t. There are rules by which even I am bound. I cannot change the conditions of the bargain anymore than you or your fool of a father.”

“Why didn’t you tell us about this?” Viribus demanded, the closest Fawn had ever seen him to being angry.

“What, and let them bide there time in their rooms until the deadline was up? To refuse to make any effort to honor the agreement, knowing they’d only have to wait in silence and solitude for a year and they would be free from it? No, I don’t think so.”

“But if you--”

“ _ENOUGH!_ ” Zinzo yelled. “You two have grievously wronged your parents, your king, both of your kingdoms, and each other. You are both a disgrace to your countries and will be punished accordingly.” He walked around his desk and stood in front of the tiny Fawn, who he dwarfed, and the massive Viribus, who dwarfed him. “You are to be separated for the remainder of Fawn’s stay. Viribus, you are confined to your quarters and will be absent from meals. You are not to see Fawn again until the day of the deadline.”

“No!” Viribus said. “You can’t do that!”

“I am your father and the king!” Zinzo shouted. “I can do as I please!” He rounded on Fawn. “You will attend meals as usual. You are not to tell anyone, including your sisters, of the conditions of the bargain or of your…” He sneered and looked at her belly. “Current predicament.” He motioned at the guards at the door. “Take her to her room and put guards at her door. Do the same for Prince Viribus. You’re both dismissed.”

The guards advanced on Fawn, and that was the moment she saw Viribus truly angry. It wasn't what she imagined. It was much, much worse.

“If even one of you lays a finger on her, you will have cause to regret it,” He said. He didn’t yell, or even raise his tone, but the black rage in his low, tempered voice was enough to liquefy stone, and the steps of the guards faltered. Even Fawn took a step back.

“Obey your king!” Zinzo snapped.

“Apologies, Your Highness!” One guard gasped to Viribus before taking hold of Fawn’s arm. Viribus delivered a punch to the guard's face that launched him across the room. He turned and tried to grab up Fawn, thinking to run, but a bright flash erupted around them, and Viribus slumped, unconscious.

“What did you do?” Fawn cried, kneeling next to Viribus and taking his head in her hands, laying it on her lap. 

“I’ve done nothing, he’s merely asleep,” Zinzo said wearily, sighing, looking very tired and considerably older.  “For once, do as you’re told and retire to your room. Stay there.” He nodded at the guards, and Fawn was pulled to her feet and dragged away. Queen Yuana sat in the dark corner, sobbing into her hands.

“Handle her gently,” Zinzo said to the guards, a blank, dead-eyed stare meeting her own as she was removed from the room. “She’s carrying my grandchild.”

They led Fawn away, the sounds of her despondent weeping fading as she was taken down the hall.


	7. Tyria

Tyria realized something was wrong immediately.

Fawn had become nearly catatonic, refusing to speak to anyone and only appearing for meals, though she was eating less and less. Fawn avoided Tyria as though she were diseased. Pallidus was as polite as ever, but he had become reserved and distant, which wasn’t hard to understand as the deadline for Tyria’s decision on the betrothal was only days away. Even Gale and Genus, happily enamoured with each other, seemed to be frustrated with her as well.

Viribus was nowhere to be found. Zinzo mentioned off-handedly that he was seeing to a goodwill mission on the far side of the eastern caverns, which confused his brothers, as they had heard of no trouble in that region. But they did not press their father; his mood seemed to snap between irritation and anger with no notice.

Tyria felt the pressure on her from all sides. She knew they were all waiting for her answer and getting restless, but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t give up everything she had spent her life working toward for…what? Marriage? To be a slave to her husband’s whims, a jewel in his crown? She was worth more than that.

As far as she was concerned, she would be selling her body, soul, and countries for something as simple and fleeting as the love of a man. She would be a silent, obedient plaything to be used as a brood mare of the next generation of rulers, nothing more. Agreeing to the betrothal wasn’t worth that price. Whatever she might feel for Pallidus, however she loved the palace and the people of Cavernae, it wasn’t worth it. She had a place and a people, and it wasn’t here.

Every day, she went to her garden, the place Pallidus had built just for her, to escape the mounting pressure. She stopped going to the library or meeting with the other ladies of status, and just sat on the bench in front of the fountain, struggling to breathe under the weight of all the expectation.

One afternoon, however, she was startled to see Pallidus sitting in her regular spot with his head in his hands, sighing and sniffling. His clothes were plainer than normal with no embroidery or embellishments, and his sleek hair covered his shoulders, obscuring his face. The thin, pretty chains he normally wore on his horns were absent and he wasn’t wearing any jewels. For Pallidus, this was as ruffled up as he got. Compared to his normal appearance, he was a hot mess.

“Pallidus?” She called softly. His head popped up at her voice and he drew and arm across his nose, throwing his hair back from his face. He stood up and waited for her to approach him, the rim of his eyes dark, his grey cheeks wet.

“Tyria!” He said, trying for a cheerful tone while wiping his face. “My apologies, I wasn’t expecting you. Would you like to to sit with me?”

She went to the bench and sat next to him, looking at his carefully neutral face grimly and taking his hand. “What’s wrong?”

His face fell into a forlorn grimace. “The deadline is in three days.”

Tyria’s mouth formed a thin line. “I know.”

“Do you love me?” Pallidus asked suddenly, his eyes searching her face, delicately removing his hand from her grip and backing up a few spaces. “I’ve given you space and time and attention. I have done everything you’ve ever asked of me. I do my best respect your wishes, whatever they may be, but it never seems to be enough. What more do you want from me?”

His face was more grim and upset than she’d ever seen it, and it hurt her heart to see him look so miserable.

“You know that I love you, Tyria,” He said. “Even though I’ve never said it openly for fear of pushing you away. I’ve never pressed you or badgered you about this, but time is running out and I must know for certain. Please tell me. Do you love me?”

She closed her eyes and sighed. This was a question she couldn’t answer, regardless of whether she loved him or not.

“Pallidus…” She said, but then she shut her mouth tight, unable to finish the sentence.

“You’re never going to marry me, are you?” He asked, his voice wavering. “Even if Father insisted, you’d always refuse.”

“...I--I…” Tyria stuttered.

Pallidus swiveled abruptly, walking away at a swift pace, as though eager to put as much distance between himself and Tyria as he could.

“Pallidus, wait!” She called after him, but that only served to hasten his steps. Before long, he was out of sight. Tyria took his place on the bench, holding own head in her hands, the way she had found him.

In the days following, he stopped sitting with her at meals and didn’t speak to her unless asked a direct question. She noticed Fawn watching the two of them with great apprehension and something that bordered on terror, though Tyria was unsure why.

Then, the day before the deadline, Fawn refused to leave her room. She didn’t show up for meals and turned away all visitors. Concerned, Tyria tried to check in on her, but her handmaiden, Lio, insisted Fawn was resolutely not receiving guests, not even her own sisters. Tyria spoke to Gale about it, but Gale figured she was just upset that Viribus had gone without her. The two of them were inseparable to the point where seeing them apart felt… wrong.

That night, though, as Tyria lay in her bed, she could hear Fawn’s wailing sobs through the door that connected their rooms. This wasn’t just Fawn missing her fiance, this was something serious.

Tyria slipped through the door and saw Fawn curled in her bed, inconsolable. There was a sick bucket near her bed and a bowl of cold water on the night stand, as well as a cup of tea and ginger crackers, which had not been touched.

“Fawn, what’s wrong? Are you ill?” Tyria asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting her hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!” Fawn shouted, flinging Tyria’s hand away. “This is all your fault!”

“What?” Tyria said, confused. “What’s my fault?”

“You’re so selfish and stupid! You love Pallidus, you know you do! Why won’t you just marry him and let us all be happy?”

Tyria sighed. “It’s not that simple, Fawn.”

“Yes, it is!” She shouted. “All you ever talked about was being queen, but you know full well that Coll and Seelia will take care of Suida and grandfather’s country and be great rulers. You just want the crown for yourself! You don’t care about what’s best for your kingdoms, you just want to be queen!”

Tyria’s head rocked back. Was it selfishness rather than duty that made her hesitate? She’d never thought of it that way, but Fawn could have a point. Oh gods… was she power-hungry? Is that why she had been so stubborn? That was quite the sudden revelation to come to.

“Pallidus is the crown prince; he will make you a queen when he ascends the throne, but that’s just not enough for you, is it? You won’t be happy unless you’re the only one in charge! You’re so selfish!” Fawn accused between sobs.

“Fawn…”

“Because of you, Viri will never meet his baby,” She wept into her fists. “We’ll all be sent home tomorrow and I’ll never see him again and he’ll never see his child!”

Tyria’s jaw dropped. “What are you talking about, sent home? What child?! ”

“I’m pregnant, you half-wit,” Fawn snapped, pointing to the sick bucket and tray with the crackers and tea. “And if you don’t agree to marry Pallidus by midnight, the betrothal contract will be void, and we’ll all be sent home!”

“You’re not serious!” Tyria said, horrified.

“We can never come back to Cavernae and Zinzo’s sons will never be able to leave. We’ll never see them again! You may not care about that, but I do! Gale does! You only care about yourself, Tyria!” She swatted and kicked at Tyria until she retreated off the bed. “Get out, you selfish cow! Leave me alone!”

Shocked, Tyria fled back to her room, clutching her chest. Was it true? Would she really never see Pallidus again come tomorrow? The thought stole her breath away in horror. She did care deeply for him; she couldn’t imagine a future that didn’t have him in it. Having spent an entire year with him, she supposed she had taken it for granted that he would always be there.

Fawn had been crying and dejected for nearly a week; she wouldn’t get that worked up over a rumor, so it must be true. If that was so, and if she were pregnant, Viribus would never have left her under any circumstance. He followed after Fawn like her personal vassal, devoted to her beyond reason or fear of reprisal. If he was gone during such a delicate time, something sinister was indeed going on.

Tyria heaved a heavy sigh. If there was any small amount of truth to this, she knew what she had to do. She couldn’t take Viribus’s child away from him. If she didn’t marry Pallidus, she would be ripping a family apart. More than that, she loved Genus and Viribus like brothers and she couldn’t keep doing this to them. Or to…

Steeling herself, she marched out of her bedchambers and toward Pallidus’s apartments.

“Pallidus, wake up!” She said, bursting through his door without knocking.

“What the devil!” Pallidus, who wore only thin linen undergarments to cover himself, jerked up in his bed and clutched his covers to his naked torso with one hand in alarm. He didn’t appear to have been sleeping. “ _Tyria?_ What in the underground are you doing in my bedroom?”

“This is no time for propriety!” She said as she grabbed him by the wrist to halt him from bouncing out of his bed and fleeing to his bathing room. Before he had the chance to escape, she shouted, “I’ll marry you!”

He froze and turned to look at her in shock. “What?”

“I’ll marry you,” She said heavily.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Why? Why now, the night before the deadline?”

She took a deep breath before replying, “Fawn’s pregnant. She and Viribus are going to have a child.”

His solid red eyes widened in further shock. “That’s… certainly big news. I’m happy for them, but what does that have to do with us?”

“Are you aware of the conditions of the betrothal agreement between our fathers?”

Pallidus shook his head. “Conditions?”

“If I don’t agree to marry you by the deadline at midnight, my sisters and I will be sent home tomorrow morning, and we can never come back.”

Pallidus’s jaw dropped in horror. “ _What?_ ”

Tyria nodded grimly. “If I don’t agree to marry you in the next thirty minutes, Viribus will never meet his own child and Fawn will lose the love of her life, not to mention how Genus and Gale will feel. So I’m agreeing to marry you. For them.”

His face hardened. “But not for you. Or me.”

She shut her eyes and sighed. “Pallidus…”

“Stop,” He said, folding his arms forbiddingly. “I understand your intentions, and while they are noble, I simply can’t. If I needed a woman to marry me who didn’t love me, any woman of status would do. That’s not what I want.”

“Not even for your brother and his child?”

“Don’t do that!” He snarled. “Don’t use my brother against me. I’m heartsick at the thought of his loss, and Genus’s loss as well, but I won’t live a lie with you for anyone’s sake.”

“That’s selfish, Pallidus!”

“Oh, that’s rich, coming from you!” He sneered bitterly. “Since when do you stop to consider anyone else’s feelings when it concerns what _you_ want?”

His spiteful tone stung. “Pallidus, please… If we don’t agree to marry, then we’ll never see each other again!”

He glared at the floor, his jaw working. “Perhaps that’s best.”

She took a deep breath. “Pallidus… I… I know my reluctance has hurt you, and I’m sorry that I’ve made you feel as though you don’t mean anything to me. That’s not true, I swear it. You are so very dear to me, and the thought of never seeing you again hurts me more than I can put into words.” She took his face and made him look at her in the eye. “I do love you. I do.”

“I don’t believe you!” He snarled, shoving her hands away and turning his back to her. “Leave me alone!”

“It’s the truth!” She said. “I love you! I have for months. I just couldn’t say it because if I did… I’d be resigning myself to a life I didn’t want.”

“A life with me, you mean?” He said bitterly.

“No, I want to be with you! What I don’t want is a life as a crown jewel, as a glorified hostess, or a treasure to be taken out when you want to impress visiting dignitaries. I don’t want to be a opinion-less doll with no purpose other than to pop out a baby every few years. Being with you is the only thing that makes a life like that seem tolerable.”

“Wait, what?” He asked, confusion clear on his face. “What are you talking about? Why would you think I wanted some sort of mute doll or breeding sow?”

Tyria winced, wishing he hadn’t phrased it quite like that, but she pressed on.

“That’s what queens are in every kingdom I’ve ever known,” Tyria said. “We may have status and favor of the people, but we have no power or authority, especially if we marry outside of our own kingdom. We can’t make any decisions on behalf of the kingdom or it’s citizens unless we marry below our station, and even then, we have to defer to a male family member. That’s why Coll was to be my advisor, because women clearly can’t make a decision without a man’s opinion on it.” She sniffed bitterly.

“But…” He was struggling to comprehend what she was telling him. “Your mother was a governing authority! I observed you with her when she worked in your kingdom and the neighboring country.”

“That’s _her_ country! The country that belonged to her father, my grandfather. She’s the ruling sovereign there because her brother, the only male heir, died in the war before we were born. And the only reason she has any sway in Suida is because my father isn’t as backward as other kings and gives her ruling freedom.”

“But you’ve studied governance since you were a small girl! I watched you do it! Why would you do all that if you were thought you weren’t going to be in charge?”

“Because I _was_ going to be in charge!” She explained. “I’m the oldest heir of two kingdoms. There are no male heirs. If my father had had a son with my mother, even if he were younger than my sisters and I, he would have inherited both countries instead of me. Coll is heir only in Suida, but not of my grandfather’s country; it’s the reason Coll married Seelia, who’s the only heir to my grandfather’s country besides my mother, sisters, and me. I didn’t understand it at the time, but it makes perfect sense now.”

“So, wait,” He said, gripping the bridge of his nose. “Is that what happens everywhere on the surface? Is that what you think happens here in Cavernae?” He laughed incredulously and scrubbed his face. “Gods, no _wonder_ you held out for so long!”

“It isn’t?”

“No!” He said emphatically. “Tyria, the king and queen are two halves of the governing body in Cavernae. The king presides over the military and is charged with protecting the crown, border, and the country’s populace. The queen is responsible for governing the country itself. She takes care of the people, mediates conflicts, delegates tasks, and is the go-to in all governing affairs. The king is the sword of the people, but the queen is their voice.”

“So…” Tyria said, grabbing his upper arms. “I didn’t waste my entire life? I didn’t learn protocol and treatise and arbitration for nothing? I would actually have a real role as your queen?”

“Of _course_ you would!” He said, taking her shoulders in return. “Darling, when I told you your knowledge of governance would be invaluable to me, I meant it literally, because I don’t know _the first thing_ about governing a country! That’s not what the king is for! I need you! A king _literally_ cannot rule without his consort! I--”

She rushed forward and kissed him urgently, wrapping her arms around his exposed neck and pressing her body against him. He responded in kind, gripping the fabric on her back. They kissed over and over, their tongues flicking in and out of each other’s mouths. His hands slid down her body to cup her rear over her nightdress, pulling her against him sharply. She gasped, feeling his bare chest rubbing her nipples through her garment, hardening them.

They finally broke apart, a string of saliva connecting their lips.

“Why didn’t you tell me this?” She asked breathlessly.

He tangled his long fingers in her hair and let out a harsh breath. “I just assumed you knew. I assumed that’s how it’s done everywhere. I figured you kept side stepping the topic of betrothal because you didn’t feel anything for me.” He looked her hard in the eye. “You… you really do love me?”

“ _Yes,_ ” Tyria insisted. “Of course I love you, Pallidus, I have for ages. I just didn’t want to lower myself for anyone, not even a prince.”

“You don’t have to,” He said. “Gods, I wish I had known. We could have resolved this months ago.”

She took him by the hand and pulled him toward the door. “Come on, we don’t have any time left. We need to tell your father now.”

“Wait, love!” He said, laughing. “At least let me put on a tunic!”

Tyria pulled a tunic from a bureau and helped him put it on over his horns, then dragged him barefoot out into the hall.

The king and queen’s chambers, consisting of an entire wing by itself, was directly behind the throne room in a door hidden behind a tapestry. There was a night butler who guarded the door to the interior rooms so that people couldn’t just barge in, as Tyria and Pallidus were trying to do.

“Wake my father,” Pallidus said urgently to the butler. “Tell him it’s about the betrothal. It’s urgent.”

The butler disappeared inside the door for an agonizing amount of time, during which Tyria bounced on her heels nervously and Pallidus tried very hard not to chew his nails, but the butler eventually returned and directed them to a sitting area.

Finally, Zinzo arrived in a dressing robe, looking like he’d never gone to bed, and regarded them with an annoyed reservation.

“Well?” He asked in a peevish tone.

“I’m sorry to bother you so late, my Lord,” Tyria said. “But I’ve decided to marry Pallidus.”

Zinzo’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, just as Pallidus had done. “You just suddenly came to that decision? Ten minutes before the deadline? That’s awfully convenient.”

“I’ve been… laboring under a misapprehension that made me reluctant to accept. It has been resolved, and I now have no qualms about the marriage.”

“None?” Zinzo asked incredulously.

“No, not one,” Tyria replied, unwavering.

“I don’t believe you,” Zinzo said. “I think that silly girl Fawn went against my orders and told you about the contract’s conditions. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes,” Tyria admitted. “Fawn is very upset and quite angry at me, and knowing what I know now, she has every right to be. And I’ll also admit that I may have accepted at first for her sake, but that’s not why I’m doing it now. I love Pallidus and I want to marry him.”

Zinzo shook his head. “I still don’t believe you. I’m going to need a better argument than that. Convince me.”

Tyria took a deep breath and sighed. Pallidus reached for her hands and squeezed it in reassurance.

“I was foolish,” Tyria said reluctantly. “It was pride and selfishness that kept me from saying yes, and I can admit that now, even to myself. I felt like you had taken everything that mattered to me and left me with nothing more than a consolation prize. That being queen here was little more than putting on airs in a nice dress and a tiara. Talking to Fawn and Pallidus has made me realize that that was never the truth.”

She gave Pallidus a sweet smile, which he returned. “I love your son, your Majesty. I love him. I want to be the best wife and queen he could ever hope for. I want to serve the people at his side for as long as he wants me.” She pulled him in and laid a hand on his cheek, foreheads touching. “I vow to love him until the day I die, and longer. The two of us will be a beacon of light that illuminates the caverns for the span of our reign, and our children will take up the torch after us. Generations of lightbearers will start here. With us.”

Pallidus laughed softly, a tear escaping one of his eyes. “That sounds like a beautiful idea.”

Zinzo watched the two of them with his arms folded. “Are you willing to put that in writing? You’ve got three minutes.”

“If you’ve got something I can sign, I’ll do it right now,” Tyria replied.

Zinzo disappeared into the office off of the main rooms and reappeared with a sheet of paper, followed by Queen Yuana, who looked sleepy but pleased.

“This is a marriage license,” He explained. “I’m marrying you now. I’m not taking any chances. You both sign it, I’ll officiate it, and my wife will witness it. You’ve got two minutes, so it’s now or never.”

Tyria took up the quill resolutely and signed her name before handing the quill to Pallidus, who followed suit. Then Zinzo signed in the officiant’s box, and Yuana elegantly scrawled her name as witness with seconds to spare. When it was done, Zinzo folded it and sealed it with a wax crest. He then handed it to Yuana, who kissed Tyria and Pallidus’s cheek before disappearing into the office to store the paper away.

“Congratulations, you’re married,” Zinzo said with a tired but triumphant smile. “Now go to bed, will you? We can deal with the rest of this in the morning.”

Pallidus and Tyria kissed each other and smiled ear to ear as they left, rushing back to his sleeping chambers. As they entered the room, Pallidus pulled Tyria into a tight hug.

“I can’t believe you did that!” He said in awe, kissing her neck and cheek.

“Me, either,” She said, clinging to his body. “After a full year of putting it off, it felt so sudden. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

“Father will still expect us to have a formal ceremony, of course,” Pallidus said, playing with the curls of her hair. “But…”

“But?” She asked, pulling back to look at him. She was startled to see him looking nervous. He gulped.

“We… we are technically husband and wife now.” He glanced quickly back at this bed and down, not meeting her eye. “Is it not… customary for a husband to share a bed with his wife after their wedding?”

Tyria felt a sly smile spread across her face. “Rules are rules, after all,” She said, lifting his face to meet hers. He returned her mischievous smirk with a wicked grin of his own.

She reached down to tug her nightgown over her head, but he stopped her.

“No. No, no, no, my dear,” He said in a silky voice. “You made me wait an entire year.” He touched his long fingers to her collarbone and drew them slowly down her body, over her breasts, down her stomach, and dug into the hollow at the crux of her legs, petting the mound there softly over the cloth. “I’m going to enjoy toying with you.”

Tyria whimpered. “I do deserved this, after what I put you through.”

“Yes, you do,” He said. He stripped off his tunic and let his undergarments fall to the floor, showing that he was fully erect. It was as grey as the rest of him, thin at the tip and growing wider as it traveled inward. The most intriguing part about it was the thick, black knot at the base.

“Why don’t you make it up to me?” He asked seductively. He pushed gently at her shoulder, and she knelt down in front of him, licking her lips.

She grinned up at him from her position on the floor. “Don’t get used to this,” She said. “This is an apology. You won’t always be in charge here.”

His wicked smile widened. “We shall see.” He tangled her hair in his fingers and nudged her forward by tapping the back of her head. She took his length in her hand, stroking it with her thumb and forefinger before letting her tongue touch the dripping tip. He groaned above her, letting his head fall back.

“More,” He said. “I want more.”

She pulled his cock into her mouth, suctioning her lips closed around it, and swirled her tongue around the shaft. He gasped sharply, his grip becoming insistent. She started to bob her head back and forth, slurping him deep into her mouth and watching his abdominal muscles contract and his face contort with pleasure as she did so. She sucked faster and he began to pant and moan. She could feel him throbbing and pulsing on her tongue and increased the pressure. He looked down at her, and she looked up at him, and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

“You look delicious like that,” He growled. In response, she reached underneath him and fondled the skin of his testicles, massaging them before pulling her lips off of his cock with a pop and bending down to suck the sack into her mouth, pumping his length with her hand as she did.

His back arched and he cried out, pushing her back and resting a hand on her shoulder. He took himself in his hand as be began to lose control, aiming at her chest as his seed spurted out. His thighs trembled each time he released onto her chest, and he moaned and gasped as his climax washed over him, until he finally sagged and fell to his knees in front of her, laying her head on her shoulder and touched her hips as he caught his breath. His organ was still twitching and bobbing in his lap.

“Feel better?” Tyria asked him, combing her fingers through her hair.

“Oh, darling, we’re only getting started,” He said. He stood up and slipped the nightgown off her body, leading her to the wash basin and using the water and cloth to clean her of his mess. He then took her to his bed and instructed her to lay down on her back.

“I want to attempt something,” He said. “I read about it in one of our more… carnal volumes, and I’ve always wanted to try.”

“You have books on sex?” She asked, intrigued.

“We have books on everything,” He replied with a smile.

Tyria smiled. “I’m in an adventurous mood.”

He smiled. “Oh, how I hoped you’d say that.” He reached into a lower drawer of his nightstand and pulled out some leather cuffs that had ropes attached to them, a large, fluffy feather, and a black candle. Her eyes widened as he started to strap her wrist into the cuffs.

“This all right?” He asked before continuing to the other wrist. She started to nod, but he caught her chin. “No, no, my love,” He said. “I need you to say it.”

“Yes, it’s all right,” Tyria said, finding herself extremely curious.

He continued to the next wrist, shackling it in the leather cuff, and then set about to tying the ropes to the headboard so that her hands couldn’t reach past the top of her head. He took her feet and spread them wide, attaching cuffs to her ankles as well and tying them to the foot board. She was now laying naked and spread-eagle on the bed, open to his sight.

“Still all right?” He asked.

“Yes,” She said breathlessly.

“Good,” He said, looking her over, admiring her body as well as his handiwork. He climbed onto the bed in between her legs and reached over to light the candle. While he gave it a moment for the wax to melt a bit, he looked at her with a sinful grin.

“If I hurt you or you become uncomfortable, just say _roses_ , and I’ll stop, yes?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He leaned forward and began to drip dots of wax on her inner thigh, not close enough to the tender bits to hurt them, but close enough to make her tingle and pulse there. She moaned softly, feeling exhilarated at the sudden sharp heat and then ebb of sensation that made all of the skin surrounding it sensitive. His eyes looked at her face, gauging her reaction, and continued.

After he’d done about twenty five drops, he took a small knife and gently wedged it under the wax spots and flecked them off, the coolness of the blade’s metal against the heat of her skin made it even more sensitive. She shuddered and felt a gush of wetness between her legs.

“Mmm…” Pallidus hummed, looking at the suddenly slick lips getting red and swelling. “I liked seeing that a lot.”

Tyria could only whimper and writhe in her over sensitized state. Pallidus blew out the candle and reached for the feather. Bending low, he blew a soft breath across her throbbing pearl, the barely-there contact making her spasm.

“Feel good?” Pallidus asked.

Tyria grunted. “Yes and no. I like it, but I want _more._ ”

“More, you say?” Pallidus purred as he drew the fluffy feather down the slit, brushing oh so softly against the clit and lips. Tyria cried out, feeling her thighs tremble. She was so wound tight that if he touched her with even a fraction more firmness, she would lose herself. She groaned in frustration.

“It’s terrible, isn’t it?” He said, slowly drawing the feather up and down her wetness over and over. “Having what you want be so close but not being able to have it? Is it not torture? Is it not agony?”

She grunted and squealed, rolling her hips to find some relief, but there was none to be found. Her hands and feet were bound and Pallidus made no move to assist her beyond the feather that still drifted lazily over her bud.

“Please, Pallidus, please,” She begged. “I’m sorry. I need it. Please, I need it.”

He pulled the feather away and lightly but sharply slapped his fingers over her clit. The sudden burst of sensation caused her to shriek and struggle against her restraints. Her entire body was twitching.

She groaned and looked at him, looming over her with a hungry expression, braced on his hands and looking at her face. He opened his mouth and a tongue as long as her forearm slithered out of his mouth. Her own mouth fell open in shock.

“I didn’t know you had that,” She said.

He retracted his tongue and grinned. “There’s a lot you don’t yet know about me.”

“Teach me,” She said.

“Do you want this?” He asked, letting his tongue fall back out and lick up her sternum.

“Yes, please,” Tyria said. “Please. Please, please.”

“Only because you asked nicely,” He said before he bent down and gently flicked the tip of it against her slit. Her legs tensed and her toes curled. Then, without expecting it, he shoved it into her entrance roughly, making her howl and come instantly. He worked in and out as Tyria rode the wave back down, and then sucked her clit to the point of pain. Even the pain felt good.

To a point. Eventually, she screamed, “ _Roses!_ ” And he backed off immediately.

“Are you all right?” He asked her, moving to hold himself over her and search her face, his jet black hair falling down around them.

“Yeah,” She gasped, breathing hard. “Just… too much…”

“Well, catch your breath,” He said. “We’re not done yet.”

“Oh, good,” Tyria said, laughing.

“Ready to keep going?”

“Yes.”

He picked up her hips and laid her buttocks in his lap, slicking himself against her wetness and and watching as he popped the tip of his girth into her, just leaving it in her entrance and not moving. She was still over stimulated, but the feeling of him inside her was still glorious.

“Tell me you love me,” Pallidus said.

“I love you,” Tyria said, and she was rewarded with him ramming into her as hard as he could, smacking against the back wall inside her with enough force to bruise. It was exquisite nonetheless, and she screamed at the sensation.

“Say it again,” He said as he slowly pulled himself out.

“I love you,” And he rammed again, making her cry out again.

“Do you want to be my queen?” He asked.

“Yes!” She cried.

“Say it.” He pulled himself out all the way.

“I want to be your queen!” She gasped.

He thrust hard into her four times and then stopped. She moaned over and over and trembled.

“Are you happy to be my wife?” He asked.

“I’m happy to be your wife!” She simpered.

She expected another pounding, but instead he leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

“I’m glad,” He whispered into her ear, kissing the earlobe and neck underneath. He started moving slowly inside her, a much different sensation that the aggressive ramming, but just as luscious. “I’m so happy to be your husband. I’ve wanted this for so long.”

While he continued the soft thrusts, he reached up and unshackled her hands so that she could wrap him up in her arms, which she did happily. He ankles were kept in check by their restraints, however.

He let his long tongue lave over her breasts and nipples as his thrusts sped up, feeling a new urgency in their joined bodies. She took his face in her hands and pulled him up for a long, deep kiss as the pressure in their bodies rose and rose, coming to a peak.

“Are you close?” He asked.

“Yes,” She whispered.

He stopped immediately. He grunted and strained, dragging her nails down his back. She was sure she’d drawn blood.

“Oh, did you think it would be that easy?” He murmured sadistically. “We have all night to play this game, my love.”

She didn’t know if she could keep this up all night. “Please, the knot,” She cried. “Give me the knot! I’m begging you!”

He looked down at her, considering. “As much as I would love to do that, what would I get in return?” He asked as his hips began to move again, pushing his girth in and out at a maddeningly slow pace.

“Anything!” She screamed. “Please!”

“How about I get to name the children?” He said, smirking. “It’s not fair that Fawn and Viribus beat us to creating an heir. I feel like we have some catching up to do.”

“Yes, yes, anything. I’ll give you anything. Everything,” She said.

That was all he needed to hear. His snail’s pace instantly picked up to a bone-shaking, bed-rattling pace, and the walls inside her body were already beginning to clamp down again. He pulled back and looked down, watching as he pushed his knot against her wet opening and popped inside, instantly pulling another orgasm from her. Her body was rigid and flushed red with pleasure, and he adored the sight of her like that.

He didn’t give her any time to recover, instead pistoning his hips against her precisely until he came unwound, releasing deep into her body like a torrent. He moaned and whimpered with each jerk of his hips as he emptied whatever was left in his body into hers.

Finally, he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. They both lay there, catching their breath, sweating and sated. The knot stayed in place for a good ten minutes, during which time he would occasionally rut against her briefly just to hear her moan. At length, the engorged knot softened and he slipped out of her with a sigh.

Eventually, Tyria asked, “Could you remove the leg restraints? I think I’m starting to lose feeling in my toes.”

“Of course,” He said, dragging himself up and reaching back to undo the straps. He stood up and lifted her in his arms bridal style, carrying her to the bathroom for a soak.

“I think you should be in the restraints next time,” Tyria said as she eased into the pool.

“That might be fun,” Pallidus replied as he cleaned himself with a wet cloth and then sat on the side of the pool naked. “Are you all right? The restraints weren’t uncomfortable, were they?”

“Not at all,” Tyria replied, laying her head on her arms at the edge of the pool beside Pallidus. He took a brush from a nearby tray and began to brush out her hair. “The leather was actually very soft. It didn’t chaff, even when I was straining against them.”

“That’s good to know,” He said. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“I did, but it was also so frustrating half the time,” Tyrai sighed. “It was almost painful.”

“Goodness, I can’t imagine how that must feel,” Pallidus said sarcastically, pulling on a tangle.

“I get it, I get it,” Tyria said, rolling her eyes. “I’m guessing you’re not gonna let this go for a while.”

“A _long_ while, I’m afraid,” He said, chuckling. “But you brought this on yourself.”

“I suppose I did,” she sighed. “Does it make a difference if I say I’m sorry?”

He pinched his fingers. “Little bit.”

She laughed at him and popped his leg.

She got out of the pool and he dried her with a plushy towel, checking for marks where the restraints had been. They went to bed happy and holding each other close. Tyria had to admit, this was nice.


End file.
